Beautifying Greenwich's Bruce Park

As the beautification project work winds down at Bruce Park, the woman behind the project hosted a ‘thank you’ barbecue for town workers and crews.

Barbara Dalio and her husband, hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio, earlier this year donated $267,750 for the Bruce Park Improvement & Beautification Project. The three-phase project for the park, located between Indian Field Road and Indian Harbor, includes installation of new stormwater drainage systems to eliminate flooding of the low-lying areas, creation of about a half-mile of walkways along Indian Field Road and Davis Avenue, as well as the planting of specimen trees, perennials and creation of rain gardens.

According to the town’s history, the park was created in 1908 when wealthy textile merchant Robert M. Bruce transferred by Deed of Conveyance to the town nearly 100 acres including his house which he designated for a “Natural History, Historical and Art Museum,” which is now the Bruce Museum. A provision in the Deed allowed for part of his gift to be used “for the purpose of a public highway”. That came to fruition with the construction of I-95 in 1958.

The work being done under the aegis of the Dalio gift, helps bring the park “back up to standard,” according First Selectman Peter Tesei. At the Sept. 18 selectmen’s meeting, Tesei acknowledged that Barbara Dalio’s fete for town workers.

“Mrs. Dalio hosted a barbeque to thank the workers. They presented her with orchids and a silver box as thank you for the milestone which is bringing the park back to the standard to which we would expect it to be,” Tesei said.
Tesei added, “In looking back at challenge of economic downturn … with the town reducing assets, especially in DPW …. we had major storms in 2010, 2011, 2012 and ‘13, there was a lot of catch up for the town. This gift helped bring us back to catch up and to the original standard” for the park.

There are numerous new trees planted and immediately visible to visitors is one of the rain gardens located just past the intersection of Wood Drive and Bruce Park Drive where a pond with several plantings of ornamental grasses is located.

Photo: workers plant grass along a walkway on Bruce Park Drive in Bruce Park on Sept. 18, 2014. Credit: Barbara Heins.

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