Somerville Receives $400K for Lincoln Park Improvements

SOMERVILLE, MA – The City of Somerville was awarded $400,000 in state funds Monday in Gov. Charlie Baker's latest round of PARC grants.

The governor announced more than $7 million in grants for park and recreation improvements in 24 communities. Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grants are administered through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and assist municipalities in acquiring, developing or renovating land for recreation purposes.

Somerville will use the $400,000 for a series of improvements to Lincoln Park, including implementing fully-accessible adventure play for older children, exploratory sand play for young children, a sustainable 15-jet splash pad, a picnic area with tables and chairs, a refurbished basketball court, a skateboard area and the only outdoor area east of Utah designed specifically for parkour.

"The PARC program continues to play a vital role in protecting and improving the Commonwealth’s parkland by helping municipalities fund the acquisition of new parkland, as well as the renovation of existing parks to make them more accessible, usable, and modern," Gov. Baker said in a statement.

Municipalities with a population of 35,000 or higher or any community with an authorized parks and recreation commission is eligible to participate in the PARC program; the state will only fund projects dedicated to outdoor recreation. Communities that do not meet the population criteria may still qualify under the "small town," "regional" or "statewide" provisions of the program.

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