Stamford Breaks Ground On New Bocce Courts At Scalzi Park

STAMFORD, CT — City officials and avid bocce players gathered for a brief groundbreaking ceremony at Scalzi Park on Wednesday to commemorate the start of the bocce court renovation project.

Designed by landscape architecture engineering firm SLR and bid to DeRosa Sports at $589,000, the project will bring much-needed improvements to the eight public bocce courts that have fallen into disrepair.

City Engineer Lou Cassolo said Stamford officials and SLR reached out to stakeholders to ensure they captured what the community wanted in the project.

"It is, in effect, a one-for-one replacement, but the geometry, the size of the courts are going to be longer and a little bit wider, and they're certainly going to be enhanced in a big way," Cassolo said. "They're going to be regulation-sized, and they're going to be built in a way that will last a long time."

There will also be new drainage infrastructure added underneath the courts, and new LED light systems installed.

Mayor Caroline Simmons spoke about the city's commitment to enhancing its parks.

"I know we all love our city parks; it's one of our greatest assets — our 56 parks, three beaches and marinas," she said.

A former resident of Bridge Street, Simmons recalled seeing the Stamford Bocce League playing during the week at Scalzi Park.

"You could just hear the roar of screaming and competitive spirit going on when the bocce leagues are in play, and you could see all the families who come and watch. It's just a wonderful family tradition you've brought to our city," Simmons added.

The league will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2025, according to league president Mike O'Leary, who expressed excitement about the new courts.

O'Leary told Patch that the league, which features 32 men's teams, 16 women's teams and hundreds of players, is "part of the fabric of the city of Stamford."

"There's a lot of passion behind the games. It's people who grew up here in Stamford and have lived here in Stamford," he said.

In his comments, Cassolo said the new courts will be "transformational" to the area. O'Leary agreed.

"Our hope is to help the city. Once we have regulation courts we're going to be able to run tournaments. We're going to be able to bring in teams from outside the city and the state, which would hopefully potentially generate revenue for the city," O'Leary said.

Cassolo said the goal is to finish the project within 100 calendar days — a completion date of early December.