Louis Pasteur Park Renovations Completed

Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett joined Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo on Saturday, Oct. 4, to cut the ribbon on a newly renovated playground Louis Pasteur Park in Revere.

The renovated playground was made possible by a $200,000 grant through Governor Deval Patrick’s Our Common Backyards Program.

Secretary Bartlett and her staff joined local volunteers from Revere’s Beachmont neighborhood in building the playground on September 11, construction was completed on September 13.

“Governor Patrick’s Our Common Backyards Program builds on this Administration’s historic investments in parks and open space,” said Secretary Bartlett. “Parks are places where communities come together to play, exercise and relax, and I commend the City of Revere and neighborhood volunteers for their work in revitalizing Louis Pasteur Park.”

Through the Our Common Backyards Program, the Patrick Administration is investing $10.3 million to build or renovate playgrounds and spray parks in 53 cities across the Commonwealth.  EEA has committed up to $200,000 to fund projects in each city. All 53 projects are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014. EEA worked with each city to agree on projects that advanced the goals of the program and the communities.

“This Our Common Backyards grant through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs has allowed the city of Revere to restore and rebuild Louis Pasteur Park in the Beachmont neighborhood,” said Mayor Dan Rizzo. “It is safe to say that without this grant, this project would not have been possible.  We share the Commonwealth’s vision for maintaining and enhancing open space and believe it is key to ensuring that we have vibrant and healthy neighborhoods.”

The City of Revere used a $200,000 Our Common Backyards grant to fund renovations to two parks, DiSalvo Park and Louis Pasteur Park.  Both parks had deteriorating playground structures and grant funding was used to construct playground structures for toddlers and children in five to 12 year old age group.  The City of Revere provided a $50,000 matching grant to complete the projects.

At both DiSalvo Park and Louis Pasteur Park, the City used “Community Builds” with local volunteers to construct the playgrounds.  Volunteers worked alongside members of the City’s Department of Community Development staff and Ultiplay, an Uxbridge based company specializing in the design, construction and maintenance of parks and playgrounds.

“Let us praise the accomplishments of this community’s pride and spirit that come together time and time again to make our Beachmont a better place for our children to live,” said Joanne McKenna, President, Beachmont Improvement Committee.

Since taking office, the Patrick Administration has made a historic investment of more than $350 million in land conservation focused on three goals: investing in urban parks, preserving working farms and forests and protecting large natural landscapes for habitat. This investment has resulted in the permanent protection of more than 125,000 acres of land and the renovation or creation of more than 190 parks. The new parks and open space created are within a 10 minute walk of 1.5 million residents – about a quarter of the Commonwealth’s residents.