Pawtucket Receives $745K in Grants for Rec Projects

The City of Pawtucket has been awarded a total of $745,000 in state open space funding for five projects, from ball fields and bathrooms to a pavilion to replace the summer camp facility in Slater Park destroyed by fire in December 2012.

The project to build an open air pavilion, which would allow camp and other activities to proceed despite inclement weather, received a $100,000 grant in the historic/passive parks category by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. The city is expected to use federal matching funds toward the remainder of the $500,000 cost for the project.

The funding awards went to 26 communities around the state, with Pawtucket leading the way with five grants. All of the grants were awarded from state funds from the Rhode Island Open Space Bond Authorization of 2012.

"We are very pleased to have secured this funding that will enhance recreational opportunities in Pawtucket for everyone to enjoy," Mayor Donald R. Grebien said. "That the city did so well is a tribute to the hard work that our Planning, Public Works and Recreation departments did to document our eligibility and make our case that all of these site-specific applications are worthwhile projects for the public."

The awards were announced on May 15 at a Statehouse news conference held by Gov. Lincoln Chafee and RIDEM Director Janet Coit and attended by Grebien with city Planning Director Barney Heath.

Other city projects also receiving funding were:

*       $175,000 for fishing and boating area improvements at Festival Pier, the former Old State Pier, now undergoing extensive renovations
*       $400,000 for a track and synthetic field at Max Read Field
*       $50,000 for two restrooms at Veterans Memorial Park
*       $20,000 for a disc golf course in Slater Park

Chafee in announcing the grants said that they "will allow local communities to invest in our outdoor recreational assets, as well as have the opportunity to upgrade facilities and create local jobs."

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