Arlington Announces Robbins Farm Park Playground Construction Plans

ARLINGTON, MA — The Town of Arlington has announced that renovation of Robbins Farm Park Playground is scheduled to begin next month.

Although town officials said an exact construction timeline is still being worked out, the current schedule calls for work to begin at the site, located at 61 Eastern Ave., during the week of Oct. 9. The playground and associated work site will be closed and fenced off at that time, officials said.

Officials said the project will begin with mobilization, followed by demolition of existing equipment. The town said the goal is to have the project completed prior to July 24.

"It is anticipated that appropriate site preparation will occur this fall with the bulk of the work being done in the spring of 2024," officials said.

The park renovation project is expected to cost $2.1 million and will make the park Arlington's "first universal designed playground intended to be accessible to all abilities," officials said.

The project has been awarded to Tewksbury-based general contractor JJ Phelan & Sons, which recently completed Phase 1 of the reservoir project. The company also has done school playground projects in Arlington at Peirce School, Bishop School and Stratton School.

Town officials said that $997,000 in funding for the Robbins Farm Park Playground project was approved by the Community Preservation Act Committee and Town Meeting. Additional dollars are being provided by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

The Friends of Robbins Farm will be fundraising in order to assist with the purchase of inclusionary equipment for the playground, according to officials.