PEABODY — Pickleball players in West Peabody and families visiting MacArthur Park have something new to enjoy this summer, as the city completed a pair of park improvement projects.
At Corbeil Park, six newly resurfaced pickleball courts are now open after a roughly $70,000 renovation that expanded the site’s pickleball options from four courts to six. The project, supported by a $50,000 state earmark secured by Sen. Joan Lovely in May 2025, also included grading to keep puddles off the surface and the installation of permanent nets and poles. Work began June 8, with the courts reopening for play June 18.
Peabody Recreation, Parks, and Forestry Interim Director Jackie Ciardi said the improvements respond to growing demand for pickleball in West Peabody, where residents had long requested upgraded facilities. The additional courts also position the city to accommodate future growth in the sport.
Meanwhile, MacArthur Park welcomed a brand-new playground slide on June 29 after months of planning. The approximately $2,500 project required a custom retrofit because the playground’s original manufacturer is no longer in business. The previous slide had developed a crack and was removed, leaving children without one for several months before the replacement was installed.
More improvements are already underway elsewhere in the city.
Construction continues at the Bonfanti Nature Trail near Peabody Meadows Golf Course, where the city is partnering with the Lions Club and using a state grant to create an accessible sensory Braille trail. Planned features include talking QR codes, scented herb planters, benches, games, and other accessibility enhancements, with completion expected by the end of summer.
Lt. Ross Park is also slated for safety upgrades this summer, including a redesigned traffic pattern, new playground gates with automatic closing mechanisms, and temporary speed bumps to improve access for the growing number of visitors using the park.
