SLIDESHOW: Explore New Children's Grove at Cushing Memorial Park

Nestled in Cushing Memorial Park is a natural playground for children ages 5-12.

Framingham Parks and Recreation held a grand opening ceremony for its new children’s grove play area on July 8.

Framingham Town Meeting approved phase 5 of the Cushing Memorial Park project, budgeted at $650,000, in 2013. Phase 5 improvements included Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant pathways and park furnishings like benches, as well as the children’s grove play area.

“This is an unbelievable passive central park for the residents,” said Parks & Recreation Director Jim Duane.

For the past several years we have been taking this from an idea to a reality and it is just fantastic to see it come to fruition,” added Duane.

Duane thanked for Parks & Recreation Director Bob Merusi, the Parks & Recreation Commissioners, Town Moderator Teri Banerjee and Town Meeting members for their support on the project.

The Massachusetts’ Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities awarded Framingham a $400,000 reimbursable grant for design and construction costs.

“This is a wonderful case study in seizing an opportunity that may have looked like one thing when it was a closed down hospital, but being thoughtful and developing some goals through a master plan, and sticking through it through phase after phase, you wind up with a jewel like this,” said Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin during the ceremony to open the play area. ”This serves not only Framingham but the surrounding MetroWest area.”