City of Worcester, MA

Institute Park Improvements to Begin this Summer

For Immediate Release: 6/22/2010 9:10 am

Worcester, MA (June 22, 2010) - The first phase of improvements to Institute Park is scheduled to begin this summer. The Institute Park Master Plan (3MB) was approved in 2007 after an extensive public process that captured the needs and desires of all who use this historic community green space. The Master Plan identifies physical improvements to enhance the park, protects the natural ecological areas that support wildlife and identifies landscape designs that do not require complex or costly maintenance.

The first phase of these enhancements to Institute Park will include approximately $500,000 in amenity upgrades to include:

• Increased electrical service for the park in order to accommodate the many events and civic gatherings that take place on-site.
• A covering over the current concert stage that can be moved once a new performance area is developed.
• The relocation and renovation of the Tremont Columns.
• The development of a main entrance plaza area at the intersection of Salisbury and Boynton Streets.

Many thanks are to be given to the Friends of Institute Park and Worcester Polytechnic Institute for their leadership and stewardship in shaping the future of this urban resource, and to Dr. Dennis Berkey, President of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, for the College's investment in Institute Park.