Somerville’s newest green space at the former Powder House Community School is now open. The new park includes 16 new trees, many native plant species, the city’s first public bike repair station, and seating and an amphitheater made from reused materials from the school building.
Along with the park, the pathway connecting Holland Street and Broadway has been reopened. The park adds an additional half an acre of open space to the city.
Design and construction of the park were carried out through a public-private partnership between the City of Somerville and Somerville-based development firm MarKa, which is redeveloping the former school. A robust community process helped guide the design of the park, and construction was funded in part by the Community Preservation Act.
The City’s Memorialization Committee is expected to vote on the new park’s official name at its meeting on January 19.
So sad. That school should have been a place for homeless people and people that need help. We are losing too many opportunities like this to help those worse off than ourselves. It would have been the right thing to do.
My husband has submitted a previous recommendation that the park be named in memory of Robert Silva. Robert was killed in action only days after arriving in Vietnam to serve his country. Robert Silva, like many Somerville kids, grew up on this former ballfield site of the old Western Junior High School. We believe it would be a fitting tribute to his family and his memory if this site could be named in his honor.