Updated: Haverhill’s Cashman Field to Receive $127,000 State Makeover

Mayor james J. Fiorentini with children at Cashman Field. (Courtesy photograph.)

Mayor James J. Fiorentini with children at Cashman Field. (Courtesy photograph.)

A new playground, pedestrian walking loop and irrigation system are among the upgrades planned for Cashman Field at the foot of Hilldale Avenue.

Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini said he sought the $127,160 grant from the Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities program after hearing from children who use the park.

“Last year, I had a community meeting out at Cashman Field and had a long talk with kids on bicycles there. They wanted me to fix the skate park, and other neighbors said they want more benches. We were already thinking about it. That’s why we were there,” the mayor said. He said the city must match the state money.

The project, which won’t begin until next July at the earliest, includes new lights and fencing for the park’s skateboard area, according to Haverhill Rep. Brian S. Dempsey and other members of the city’s legislative delegation.

Rep. Brian S. Dempsey, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Brian S. Dempsey, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

“The PARC grant will allow Haverhill the opportunity to address necessary improvements to our parks, increasing the public accessibility and diversifying the usability of our outdoor space,” Dempsey said. He added the improvements will encourage more families to use the park. The new playground within the park will contain some type of safety surfacing and the walking loop will surround the baseball field.

Recreation Director Vincent Ouellette said early plans call for use of a special safety surface for the playground, made of shredded hardwoods that provides a cushion in the event of falls. It is flame-resistant and also improves handicapped accessibility, he said. Existing grinding rails and pyramids at the skateboard park will be replaced, while adding a new infield turf, walking path to discourage people from cutting across the ballfields to get to Little River, lighting, water cannons for irrigation and possibly surveillance cameras.

“It is similar to what we’ve done at Swasey’s. We want to have the whole city enjoy it too,” Ouellette said. He said work is expected to begin the middle of next July and be finished by the following spring.

Fiorentini said he wasn’t sure neighbors would welcome all of the improvements.

“I thought the neighbors would be opposed to sprucing up the park because it means more people and more noise, but neighbors supported it,” he said.

The state program was created in 1977 to help communities buy and develop land for parks and outdoor recreation purposes.

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