By Adam Swift
The city council unanimously approved a $4.2 million loan order for the second phase of the McMackin Field project.
The money will help the city complete the approximately $6.5 million project by the middle of next summer, according to public works director Chris Ciaramella.
The loan order was before the council last month, but Ward 4 Councillor Paul Argenzio said he wanted to see more detailed plans for the project before moving forward with approval of the loan order.
Monday night, Ciaramella and parks and recreation director Michael Hinojosa provided those plans to praise from many of the councillors.
The multi-use turf field can be configured for use as a little league baseball field, regulation softball field, and an Under-10 youth soccer field, according to Ciaramella.
The first phase of the project, which included the installation of drainage and raising the site itself, has already been completed, Ciaramella said.
There will also be two buildings included as part of the project – a two-story press box behind home plate with a four-foot by eight-foot window, and a storage shed that will also include three handicap-accessible bathrooms.
Plans also call for an eight-foot decorative fence around the field, along with protective netting that will help prevent balls from going into the streets or nearby condominium buildings, and a new scoreboard. Three bleachers will provide 144 seats, and there will be 17 parking spaces along Winthrop Avenue at the field.
In addition to the upgrades to the long-abandoned field itself, Ciaramella there will be some improvements to Winthrop Avenue near the field.
“There are pedestrian bumpouts for the two crosswalks before and after the field on Winthrop Ave. to help safely cross residents back and forth to this field,” said Ciaramella. “There will be solar pedestrian crossing beacons on both of these crosswalks to help slow people down as they enter through and out the site. The layout here, with the new retaining wall pushing out into the field has created 17 parking spaces, two handicap and 15 other, and there is a full sidewalk replacement on the field side of Winthrop Ave. with alternating tree pits and decorative lights.”
Councillor-at-Large Robert Haas III said that putting McMackin Field back online is a huge plus for the city.
“These renderings are fantastic, I am so excited about this project,” said Haas. “Anytime you talk about adding a field of this magnitude to the city – multiple sports, permitting, rentals, practices, games – it’s a huge, huge plus for the city and its residents.”
Councillor-at-Large Anthony Zambuto said he would like to see some kind of model or memorial to when McMackin Field was known as Little Fenway on the site of the renovated field, noting that it is a big piece of Revere history.
There was also some discussion about whether or not the field will be open to the public during the day. Argenzio said he does not want to see public spaces locked up during the day, but Hinojosa noted that it might require security at the field.
Hinojosa stated that there have been issues with vandalism recently at Della Russo Stadium, and that the issue of keeping McMackin Field open to the public might be something the council wants to discuss at a future date.
