- 2010 CT Recreation & Parks Association Merit Award.
- Improved quality of life in the Oak Street Neighborhood.
- Urban revitalization.
PROJECT DETAILS
At a contaminated urban in-fill site of a former vehicle maintenance yard and filling station, Willow Street Park provides New Britain residents with multiple recreational opportunities. A major challenge of this restoration effort was the environmental cleanup of the site. Thousands of cubic yards of hazardous soils had to be removed and the site grading plan then adapted to the new topography. Willow Street Park is a true urban amenity, with features that appeal to all ages, from a toddler play area to basketball courts for teens and adults to bocce and shuffleboard courts for senior citizens.
As part of this new urban park, a state-of-the-art splash pad was constructed to serve neighborhood children. The splash pad consists of many interactive features, such as water cannons, dumping buckets and water jets. The splash pad was designed such that toddlers are separated from older children. The system was designed as a “drain away” facility, minimizing initial expense and future maintenance dollars.
The true measure of excellence is visiting this park on a summer day to witness all of the happy neighborhood children.