SWAMPSCOTT — As a result of a community effort, Phillips Park will soon feature a new donated playground near the recently revamped Blocksidge Field.
Gino Cresta, department of public works director and assistant town administrator, said the Klaman family from Swampscott donated playground equipment for the town’s children, but the family requested that the cost not be disclosed.
Cresta, who is coordinating the project, said Raffaele Construction, a company based in both Swampscott and Lynn, donated their services for the site work to prep for the playground equipment installation.
The new playground in Phillips Park will complement the refurbished Blocksidge Field, located on Humphrey Street, which was unveiled last month after a multi-year effort. Town Meeting appropriated $1.65 million and the other $300,000 was raised privately for the turf field project, which included installing new turf, new bleachers and a new press box.
“I appreciate the efforts of both the Klaman family and Raffaele Construction for their goodwill and providing the new playground at Blocksidge Field,” Cresta said.
The new playground is a need in the community. Cresta said there was a small playground in Phillips Park next to the field house that was removed as part of the turf field project. He said the playground equipment was outdated, which included a metal slide and swing set with three swings.
About a decade ago, Cresta said the town voted to take out the playground at Kids Cove in Phillips Park because it was built out of pressure treated wood, and officials suspected there were carcinogens in the wood. He said the new playground will be close to where Kids Cove was, but a little farther back from the street and closer to Blocksidge Field.
Cresta said the Klaman family ordered the playground equipment in June, with a plan to have it in place by the time the turf field was installed, but the company they bought the equipment from kept putting it off. He said the Klamans just wanted to give back to the town.
The plan now, Cresta said, is to start installing the playground equipment on Monday, with a hope to finish up two weeks from then. He said Raffaele Construction got the site prepped last week for the playground installation — the company’s efforts saved the town close to $10,000.
Cresta said Gerardo Raffaele, president of the construction company, was doing a separate job for him about a month ago installing granite piers down at Blocksidge Field. He said Raffaele agreed to donate equipment and materials to assist both the town and the Klaman family for the playground project, but mostly the family because of a prior working relationship.
“The Klaman family and I have been doing business for about 20 years and when I heard that (they were) donating the playground and there was no budget to do the site work and preparation for the playground equipment, I stepped in and donated my labor and materials to perform the project,” Raffaele said.
Raffaele said site work included excavating and installing a concrete berm, or retaining wall, to retain the edge of the playground and setting elevations for the playground equipment to be installed. He said his company will also assist in supervising the equipment installation.
“I think it’s important for small companies to be a part of the community that we’re in,” Raffaele said. “There (were) a lot of good guys that put that whole thing together to make that happen and I thought that I could do something to help out with that whole field project. They have a tight budget over there on that.”
