Chicopee's City Council has signed off on a $1 million federal grant and authorized a $5.86 million bond to transform Frank J. Szot Memorial Park, clearing the way for a new splash pad, accessible restrooms and a rebuilt entrance at the 63-acre Ward 4 park. The council approved the grant and bond authorization at its meeting Tuesday, setting phase one of a broader master plan into motion.
The money comes through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal program that helps preserve outdoor spaces in communities around the country, according to The Reminder. City Planner Lee Pouliot told the outlet that $1 million is the maximum award the LWCF will make for any single project, and that the grant is competitive. Because it functions as a reimbursement grant, Chicopee has to front the entire phase-one cost itself and get paid back later. The city authorized a bond for the full $5.86 million phase, but would not need to borrow for construction until April or May.
The council's authorization pairs that bond with $149,500 in local government funds, and Chicopee's Office of Community Development has committed a separate $250,000 toward accessibility-related improvements, per Pouliot. Together, the funding is meant to cover a long list of upgrades: a new splash pad, accessible restrooms, reconstruction of the park entrance and parking facility, and improvements to the picnic grove, the same Reminder report states. Planners also expect the phase to formalize and rebuild paths, add green stormwater infrastructure and new park amenities, and plant new vegetation in natural areas of the park.
Construction Timeline Points to Next Spring
Work is expected to begin on the Abbey Memorial Drive side of Szot Park and move toward Front Street, with later phases eventually reaching other sections of the grounds, according to the same account. Design is slated to wrap up over the winter before the project goes out to bid in spring, with construction potentially starting as early as April or May. City officials have framed the park as a long-term priority; Councilor George Balakier said the current round of work represents the first phase of capital improvements needed to maintain the park's status as what officials have called a crown jewel. Mayor John Vieau added that the city intends to continue a holistic renovation and upgrade of Szot Park.
Visitors to the park will eventually be able to use the new splash pad and refreshed picnic facilities once construction is complete, giving families another reason to gather at the Ward 4 green space.
Abbey Brook Restoration Already Underway
The splash pad and entrance work is distinct from the multimillion-dollar, multiphase Abbey Brook Restoration Project, which has been underway in the park's northwest corner since at least 2024. That effort aims to avoid dam failures, improve water quality and let local ecology thrive, according to WAMC. Its completed first phase delivered passive recreation trails, an outdoor classroom, boardwalks and seating areas, per WWLP. A third, still-distant phase is expected to include removing the Upper Bemis Pond Dam and further restoring Abbey Brook, WAMC reported.
That stream work has drawn its own funding stream. The city was awarded a $100,000 grant from the state's Department of Fish and Game last year to support the Abbey Brook restoration and revitalization project, MassLive reported at the time. Separately, Chicopee has a project underway to design and engineer replacement of a Front Street culvert and daylight a stream beneath the park's parking lot.
Part of a Statewide Push for Park Funding
Chicopee's award is one piece of a larger statewide push to fund outdoor recreation and conservation projects this cycle. The Healey-Driscoll administration awarded a total of $13 million to 45 projects across the commonwealth through its PARC, LAND and Conservation Partnership grant programs, according to the Gazette. In Hampshire County alone, five municipalities and nonprofits shared $1.93 million for conservation and recreational facilities, with Belchertown receiving nearly $500,000 for a multipurpose sports space at its Chestnut Hill Recreation Center and a conservation restriction, and Southampton landing $361,548 to help purchase 82 acres surrounding Tripple Brook Farm. A smaller $47,600 grant will cover 68% of a planned asphalt slab at Belchertown's recreation area, the Gazette noted.
