Wilmington Receives $75K Federal Earmark, Plans To Make Improvements To Ballfields & Tennis Courts At Former Textron Site

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington’s Department of Public Works was recently awarded a $75,000 federal earmark to make improvements to athletic fields in town.

The Department of Public Works received approval from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation to use the earmark to improve the existing 5-acre field and tennis court facilities located at 175 Lowell Street, known as the Lowell Street (former Textron) recreational facility.

This summer, the town entered into a 99-year lease with the property owner, National Development, to use the three softball/baseball fields, tennis courts, and two small parking areas. The town intends to make improvements to the area with the owner’s permission.

“The proposed project uses earmark funding to conduct a feasibility study to determine a baseline of the facilities at the site, the soil biology, drainage, connectivity to adjacent town land, the needs of various stakeholders and user groups, and other pertinent conditions to support long term suitability of the site for public use, and to help determine what the site needs to meet expectations of long-term recreational use, including maintenance needs, labor, equipment and site work,” explained DPW Director Jamie Magaldi, in a memo shared with the Select Board at a recent meeting.

The feasibility study is expected to cost approximately $31,000. The remaining $44,000 will, according to Magaldi, “potentially be used toward advanced project design and phased construction to improve the property based on the outcome of the study and will likely supplement future local funding investments.”

After completing the Request For Proposal process last month, the town entered into a contract with Tom Irwin, Inc., which is the company that has served as the Town’s turf management consultant since 2010,

The feasibility study is expected to be completed by early 2024.