Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Mary Dennison Park Project

FRAMINGHAM - A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Tuesday, March 26 for the Mary Dennison Park renovation project.

The plan—which has been in development since 2014—is projected to be completed in 2025, according to Framingham officials.

During Tuesday’s ceremony at the park, which was attended by multiple city and state officials, Mayor Charlie Sisitsky praised the ongoing support from regional stakeholders in order to ensure that the park’s prior contamination issues have been resolved and that the site can be transformed into a community recreation hub.

“This is just an example of what you can accomplish when the private sector works with the public sector—the state sector works with the local government—and we all cooperate and get things done,” Sisitsky told attendees during the event.

Conceptual designs from the city feature a wide range of new features at the park, including a multi-use synthetic turf field, a softball field with natural turf, a new playground and splash p, as well as new utilities and parking for over 100 vehicles.

The renovation to Mary Dennison Park is slated to cost about $43.2 million. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and MassWorks have both provided grants to Framingham during the process, while Avery Dennison Corp. will also contribute to the project’s cost.

“Redevelopment of this brownfield site in particular is an opportunity to right a historic wrong and create a public resource for all to enjoy,” MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple said at the ceremony.

“This will be a focal point of the neighborhood…and hopefully a point of pride for the city of Framingham for generations to come.”

R.A.D. Sports previously submitted a nearly $36.5 million bid for the project, as City Council documents showed that Avery Dennison would cover just over $13 million for contractor costs related to the park’s renovation.