Newfield Skate Park


Plymouth starts work on Skate Park with new additions to revamp the area for years to come

By Cy Beltran

(Originally published in The Eagle in October 2018)

Plymouth Town Brook is undergoing a major renovation that will look to revitalize the Newfield Street area and bring life back to the long dormant river. A new grant funded venture looks to return the area back to the ecosystem that previously inhabited the spot before people developed the land. 

Alongside this massive restoration, a new public park will be built out around the expanded river, with brand new benches, a larger parking lot, nighttime light posts, and a revamped basketball court. A new skate park will be built adjacent to this spot, with all components being made up of poured concrete set into the foundation to save costs and create a much more efficient park. 

David Gould, Plymouth Director of Marine and Environmental Affairs, said that “The aesthetics of the park will be significantly improved, as will the rest of the park. And because the users of the park were involved in the public process, I hope they obviously like the park.”

Gould stated that the project has actually been in development for fifteen years or so, with the most recent process of acquiring the permits and licensing lasting about 5 years. 

Town Brook originally flowed straight through the area from Billington Sea to the ocean, but the current dam was developed in the mid 1800s, which was built in order to help provide energy for the mills that were once constructed underneath where the park now resides. The park itself was dedicated in 1930, with the skate park being the most recent addition, having been completed in the late 1990s.

The main purpose of the project is to tear down a wall that has restricted Town Brook’s water flow and raise the grade of soil to reroute the path of the river. The restoration of the natural land will also necessitate the removal of around fifty-five tons of contaminated sediment from the area.

In recent years the area has become rundown, with the park and adjacent playground in desperate need of repairs. A bright spot in recent memory has been a mural created in the park by Plymouth North students last year. Thankfully, the work of art will remain untouched during the renovations.

Alex Baier, North Senior who lives close to the park, said that “Before the renovation it was not very nice and it was kind of run down, so I think that if they add more of a natural landscape in there... that’ll be beneficial for everyone.”

For those in the skating community who used to frequent the old park, these changes are a welcome addition to the area. “I think it’s gonna be a big positive impact ‘cause the old skate park was kind of old and gross,” said Will Giampociaro, who has been going to the park for three and a half years to bike and take photos. “I think it’s gonna be a lot better than the current one. It’s gonna be a lot bigger, which is gonna be nice.” 

Hopefully this new park project will help to provide an improved space for the community to relax at and enjoy the natural beauty of the town.

The project is projected to be finished around June 2019. 


 

Construction pictures below:

The knocking down of a section of the wall


Foundations for the former mills 

Brick from the original mill that was built on this site

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