Arrigo Leads Charge in Cleaning Up Long-Vacant and Overgrown McMackin Little League Site

Opening in 1952, the McMackin Little League Field has been a staple in the Revere community for more than 60 years, serving as a spot for youth baseball players in Revere to meet and play ball. Named after World War II Veteran Sgt. Charles McMackin, the site honors a Revere veteran and hero, who in April of 2022 was buried in American soil after his remains were found overseas.

Since 2014, Revere Little League has not utilized the site and the field has since become overgrown and unkept. Mayor Arrigo, community members, Revere City Councilors, and other local elected officials have long been supporters of cleaning up the historic ball field, but due to legal proceedings with the previous owners, the efforts have been largely stalled.

In 2021, the City of Revere issued multiple State Sanitary Code violations against Revere Little League because of the state of the site, and in November of 2021 the City and Revere Little League participated in a public hearing. Since the hearing, the Revere Department of Municipal Inspections has worked in partnership with the City Solicitor’s Office and City lawyers to take over the property. As of November 7, 2022, the City owns the deed and the site will be owned and operated by the City of Revere going forward.

“For years the City has fought to clean up McMackin Field, and it has remained one of my priorities since I’ve come to office,” said Mayor Brian Arrigo. “Us owning the site is a huge win for the City of Revere, McMackin’s family members, and for those who grew up with memories of playing on that field. We’re already getting in there and making long overdue clean-up efforts, and we’re excited to begin this next chapter at one of our most historic properties.”

For now, the City’s main priority is the clean-up of the overgrown field. There are no official plans for how the City will utilize this property after clean-up, but residents can expect this process to have public input opportunities and chances to weigh in on the future of the project.

“Now that we have officially taken ownership of McMackin, we are excited that the real work will begin to get the property cleaned up,” said Michael Wells, Director of Municipal Inspections. “In the coming weeks, crews will be on site with heavy equipment to remove the vegetation and start demo work on the structures. This is long overdue, and we will also ensure that the property is made safe and secured as we head into the winter months.”