Framingham Dog Park: Groundbreaking Date Set

FRAMINGHAM, MA — In March, Framingham will officially kick off the start of construction at the city's first dog park.

The off leash area will be located at the south end of Farm Pond Park adjacent to the parking lot and skateboard park. Construction on the park got underway around Feb. 10, but the March kickoff will serve as a ceremony commemorating an effort almost a decade in the making.

The dog park effort dates to 2015, when the group FramBARK organized local dog owners around building an off leash area somewhere in the city. The effort stalled in 2019 when the group appeared to give up on the idea. But a renewed effort in 2020 resulted in real movement on plans and a location for the park.

Framingham began accepting bids for the park in September, and in December received a $225,000 grant from the Stanton Foundation, which has funded other dog parks in Massachusetts — including the new park in Natick along Route 135. The parks department has estimated the total cost of the park will be about $262,000.

The March 4 groundbreaking will begin at noon on March 4 near the Farm Pond Park lot at 299 Dudley Road.