Town Of Arlington: Whittemore Park Phase 1 Construction Complete

Press release from Town of Arlington:

10/20/2021 10:00 AM

The Town invites the Arlington community to attend a reopening event to celebrate the completion of Phase 1 of the Whittemore Park Revitalization Project on Monday, October 25 at 9:30 a.m. In the event of inclement weather, the celebration will be held on Tuesday, October 26 at 3:00 p.m.

The event will feature remarks from Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine, Eric Helmuth of the Select Board, Clarissa Rowe of the CPA Committee, and Heather Leavell and Beth Locke, directors of the Dallin Museum and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, respectively. A brief, optional tour featuring an overview off the site redesign and improvements will follow. Design documents identifying work to be completed in Phase 2, scheduled to begin construction in the spring of 2022, will be available for review. Refreshments will be provided by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, and members of the public are welcome to attend.

The Whittemore Park Revitalization Project is being guided by the Department of Planning and Community Development with input from a working group composed of representatives from the Historical Commission, Historic Districts Commission, Dallin Museum, Chamber of Commerce, Cutter Gallery, and property and business owners in Arlington Center. The Whittemore Park Revitalization Project planning process began in 2017 and concluded in August 2018 which resulted in a design that transforms the small green space at the corner of Mass Ave and Mystic St into a focal point for recreation and civic functions, as well as a place to appreciate Arlington’s cultural heritage.

Phase 1, which was completed this fall, includes renovations to the portion of the park in front of the Jefferson Cutter House, including the creation of a circuit path, removal of trees, new planting and landscaping, renovations to the rail corridor, and improvements to the central lawn. Phase 1 was funded through CPA funds and the Town of Arlington.

Phase 2, scheduled for construction in the spring of 2022, will address accessibility improvements to the path between Mystic Street and the Jefferson Cutter House. The existing side gardens will be renovated and replaced with new gardens, updated seating, and accessible pathways. Phase 2 is funded through the Town of Arlington and the Community Development Block Grant program.

Crowley Cottrell, LLC was hired by the Town to develop recommendations and design plans for the park. Through separate procurement processes, the firm was selected to develop construction documents and administer construction on Phase 1 and Phase 2. The firm is a Boston-based, certified women-owned business enterprise. They are also LEED AP. The firm’s practitioners bring decades of design and construction experience on parks and historic properties to Arlington.

JAM Corp. was hired to complete the construction of Phase 1 through a competitive bid process in the spring of 2021. The Worcester-based firm specializes in landscape and commercial construction and has extensive experience working with municipalities in Massachusetts.For more information about the Whittemore Park Project, or to RSVP for the reopening celebration, contact Ali Carter, Economic Development Coordinator and Phase 1 project manager, at acarter@town.arlington.ma.us or 781-316-3095, or Kelly Lynema, Assistant Director and Phase 2 project manager, at klynema@town.arlington.ma.us or 781-316-3096.

This press release was produced by Town of Arlington. The views expressed here are the author’s own.