City of Worcester, MA

WORCESTER, Mass. – The City of Worcester announced Wednesday the first round of Community Preservation Act (CPA) Pilot Funding, which will see $4.4M distributed to 18 projects.

Seven of the projects are from the Open Space and Outdoor Recreation category, 10 are from the Historic Resources category, and one is from the Community Housing category. In total, the projects represent $4,388,009 in project awards.

The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) provided this slate of recommendations to the City Council following their assessment of 28 applications received during the Spring 2025 Pilot Application Round. Recommendations were determined based on a project’s alignment with the goals of the Community Preservation Plan as assessed though the Project Scoring Rubric, as well as available funding. To learn more about the process by which projects were assessed, see the Memo to City Council here.

All the recommended projects embody the spirit of the CPA to preserve and enhance Worcester’s history, nature, and livability. 

The following is a summary of the projects awarded funding:

“Great Brook Valley (Roberto Clemente) Park Improvement Project” by the City of Worcester Parks, Recreation, & Cemetery Department. Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Category. To improve Great Brook Valley Park (Roberto Clemente Field) through the first phase of construction; including softball field upgrades with new sports lighting, accessible walkways, & facility security. $1,257,044.

“Renovation of the “Fatty Jenkins Cage” Basketball Court” by Worcester Common Ground. Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Category. To renovate the “Fatty Jenkins Cage” Basketball Court, a community space in the Pleasant and Piedmont neighborhoods. This includes resurfacing the court, new fencing, updated equipment, lighting, and a roof for shade and protection for rain. $250,000.

“Kendrick Baseball Field Restoration Campaign” by Schwartz Baseball, Inc. Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Category. To revitalize a key neighborhood space, Kendrick Field, to promote youth development, and enhance the overall recreational landscape of Worcester. $82,914.

“Brooks Dairy Farm Acquisition” by City of Worcester Planning & Regulatory Services Division. Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Category. For the acquisition of a 7.7-acre parcel of forested land known as Brooks Dairy Farm for conservation purposes. The City will hold fee ownership of the property and grant a Conservation Restriction to the Greater Worcester Land Trust. $55,009.50.

“Cooks Pond Dam and Property Access Preservation: Phase 1” by Smith’s Pond Corporation. Open Space and Outdoor Recreation. For the preservation and reduction of erosion to Cooks Pond Dam and property to maintain public trail access. $53,000.

“Dr. Dorista Goldsberry Dedication Area & East Side Trailhead” by New Garden Park, Inc. Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Category. To create a natural dedication area to honor the trailblazing work at the former Worcester State Hospital and create a new trailhead connection to the existing East Side Trail within The Reactory development. $50,678.52

“Hope Cemetery Historic Gravestone Excavation & Restoration: Phase 3” by the Friends of Hope Cemetery. Historic Resources Category. To excavate and restore 17 or more historic gravestones which were buried in 1968, setting them erect for public viewing. Additionally, to produce a brochure featuring information about the people represented on the gravestones. $49,150.

“Green Hill Park Preservation” by Green Hill Park Coalition. Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Category. To improve park access by adding stairs where only a slope exists, continue to support of the North American Chestnut tree through plantings, design and install two informational kiosks, maintain hiking trails, and install dog litter stations. $5,500.

“Building Belmont Back Better” by the Belmont A.M.E. Zion Church. Historic Resources Category. To repair the church’s exterior brick and slate roof. $278,695.

“Worcester Historical Museum HVAC” by The Museum of Worcester. Historic Resources Category. To replace the Museum’s 40-year-old HVAC system with modern, efficient controls to protect Worcester’s historic collections, improving climate stability, cutting costs and ensuring long-term preservation of these vital community assets. $273,937.

“Masonry Renovation & Preservation of the Historic Armory” by Veteran’s Inc. Historic Resources Category. To preserve the Historic Armory, which serves as transitional housing for homeless veterans, food pantry, volunteer hub & headquarters. The work will include rehabilitation/restoration of the roof & masonry work: repointing, façade, parapets, cap stones & chimneys. $273,025.

“Historic Restoration of Archtop Windows and Façade” by the Worcester Art Museum. Historic Resources Category. To replicate the original 1898 details for 3 large-scale, historic archtop windows and conduct other façade improvements to the 1898 museum building and adjoining 1983 addition. $200,000.

“The Dr. Robert & Esther Goddard Center for Inspiration” by The Wonder Mission, Inc. Historic Resources Category. To restore and preserve the house that was the birthplace of Dr. Robert Goddard, known as “the father of modern rocketry,” and develop it into an inter-active learning environment accessible to local students and educators. $151,056.

“Worcester City Clerk Archive Preservation” by the City of Worcester Clerks Office. Historic Resources Category. To properly preserve vital records and increase the accessibility for city clerk staff and the public. $70,000.

“Portraits Preservation Project” by the Worcester County Mechanics Association, aka Mechanics Hall. Historic Resources Category. To clean and conserve 21 works of art comprising the portraits collection at Mechanics Hall. The portraits depict 19th century industrialists, social reformers, statesmen, and Civil War heroes, all of whom were influential in the City of Worcester. $45,000.

“Preservation of Worcester Jail Records” by The American Antiquarian Society. Historic Resources Category. To preserve 100,000 documents of records of daily activity at the Worcester County Jail in the nineteenth century, to make them available for public use. $25,000.

“Cahill House Restoration” by the Worcester Hibernian Cultural Centre. Historic Resources Category. To remove the entryway porch and metal gates and brickwork to evaluate the condition to restore the front and sides of the Cahill House. $18,000.

“Affordable Housing Creation” by the City of Worcester Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Community Housing Category. For the funding of a grant program for the development of approximately 30 new affordable homeownership and rental units for households earning up to 80% of AMI, with priority for deeper affordability (30% and 60% AMI) in the city. $1,250,000.

On Nov. 8, 2022, the voters of the City of Worcester approved the adoption of Question 5 - Worcester Community Preservation Act. This vote accepted Chapter 44B of the Massachusetts General Laws, Sections 3 to 7, known as the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which establishes a fund dedicated to the acquisition, creation, preservation and support of community housing, open space and recreational uses and historic buildings and resources. Following the adoption, the municipality created a special Community Preservation Fund. Financed by a 1.5 percent property tax surcharge and a state match, the City expects to raise more than $4 million annually to fund locally proposed projects related to community housing, recreation, open space, and historic resources. The specific allocation and use of these dollars for their stated purposes is overseen by the CPC.