'Some green space here now': New Bedford's Ashley Park reno a welcome sight for neighbors

Sue Gaspar grew up in the Goulart Square neighborhood and enjoyed playing in Ashley Park every day, and she continued that tradition with her daughter, Samantha Gaspar Medeiros, and now her granddaughter, Gia Medeiros, 2.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday morning to celebrate the renovation of Ashley Park was a special occasion for the owner of Goulart Square Bakery.

“I enjoy seeing the kids playing in the park, people walking their dogs and the older gentlemen sitting around chitchatting,” she said. “I own the bakery up the street, and these improvements to the park enrich the neighborhood.”

She said her late husband, Jose Gaspar, is proudly looking down at the family park, as he wanted it to be. When games were still played on the gravel ballfield at the park, crossing it to return home was bad enough, but getting hit with the ball was just too much.

City councilor grateful for funding

When he was elected as Ward 6 City Councilor in 2021, Ryan Pereira said it was one of his goals to see the park transformed and is happy with how it has turned out. He said he’s grateful to the city, state and federal governments for investing in the park.

“It’s not a large park, but at least we have some green space here now,” he said. “I think it’s a good reuse of the space.”

The city secured $1.7 million in Community Development Block Grant funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to finance the project.

New programming is planned

The city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Beaches Director Mary Rapoza said there will be programming at Ashley Park this summer, including the Summer Eats lunch program beginning at the end of June and youth programming at the Ashley Park Community Center.

Rapoza said they also welcome suggestions from the community for different activities or events at the center, outside on the lawn and on the patio outside the center.

Mayor Jon Mitchell said the facelift that includes a new entrance at the corner of Rivet and Orchard streets, new pathways and enhanced green space and new lighting, benches and landscaping

“This is such a spectacular space now that will allow people opportunities for passive recreation including walking around, and it will also be a good space to do concerts, which is something we’ve talked that’s going to be in the next chapter,” he said.

Paths are designed for wheelchairs, strollers

Landscape architect Naomi Cottrell, co-owner of Crowley Cottrell based in Boston, said it takes a special project to go after designing one that’s further afield, but they wanted to work on a project with an outcome that would be transformative for the community with community input.

“What we saw her was a community that’s really, really interested in the things that make a park long-lasting,” she said.

She said all the public spaces and all the paths are universally designed for wheelchairs and strollers and all the plantings are native.

Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Ashely Park project supported by $1.7 million in federal funding