$400G state grant slated to renovate McManus Field

LYNN – McManus Field, also known as Tech Field and Neptune Boulevard Park, will receive a makeover in 2013 courtesy of a $400,000 Parkland Acquisition and Renovation for Communities (PARC) program grant.”I’m really happy, it’s like early Christmas,” said Ward 6 City Councilor Peter Capano.Capano said he has been fighting to get funding to rehab the field that sees a lot of traffic from soccer leagues and softball teams for years with no luck.Community Development Director James Marsh said he has applied for the PARC grant specifically for McManus Field three times and was thrilled to prevail this time.Marsh along with Jamie Cerulli, chief of staff for Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy, traveled to Salem Wednesday to pick up the check from Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. Sullivan was in the city to announce that $2.7 million in grants have been awarded to seven communities including Lynn, Salem and Marblehead.”This is the fourth (PARC) grant we’ve received,” Marsh said. “We’ve done over Keaney Park, High Rock Tower park and we just did over Flax Pond with the city’s first splash pad.”Marsh said he plans to install the city’s second splash pad at McManus Field as part of the renovation plans. The entire project will consist of rehabbing the baseball and softball fields, irrigation for the soccer fields, new playground equipment and new fencing along Commercial Street. Depending on the final design, a volley ball court may also be added to the park.The park, which also abuts Commercial Street, is always busy with an adult soccer league, pick-up games, kite fliers and other activities.”There is a huge Guatemalan and Portuguese population that plays soccer there regularly,” Marsh said. The final design should be completed by June.”I’m really excited about it,” Capano said. “Hopefully this (money) will go a long way.”Marblehead also picked up a $400,000, which Selectman Judith Jacobi said would be used to acquire the 4.9-acre former brownfield site that was once home to Chadwick Lead Mills.”This has been a long road,” Jacobi said. “I first ran for selectman in 2000 and during a Woman’s League of Voters candidates night I was asked, ?What do you think about Lead Mills?’ “Jacobi said the area would be used for passive recreation. State Rep. Lori Ehrlich said it would also serve as a beautiful gateway between Salem and Marblehead.”Beautiful is not a word we’ve been able to use with that site,” Ehrlich quipped.State Sen. Thomas McGee called the grants important for Lynn as well as Marblehead because it essentially represents a quality of life issue.”These are the kind of investments that really make a difference,” he said. “It’s all part of putting the pieces together. There are a lot of good things happening in Lynn.”Community Development will match the $400,000 PARC grant with about $150,000 in Community Block Grant funds, Marsh said. That could possibly free up $400,000 that was included in a bond bill passed by City Councilors Tuesday that also had funding to rehab McManus Field.”I think we can make a major impact with the $400,000 and the $150,000 combined,” said Marsh. “The will free up money possibly for other parks. How best to use freed up money?that’s a good problem to have.”Chris Stevens can be reached at [email protected].