For Immediate Release: 10/21/2021 6:27 pm
The City of Worcester has been awarded a $750,000 National Park Service grant for a project that will renovate the Coal Mine Brook conservation area.
The project is one of 10 in Massachusetts that the Baker-Polito Administration has announced would be funded through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant Program, which is administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Renovation of Coal Mine Brook, which is located at the end of the East-West trail network, will involve the construction of new, fully-accessible walkways and trails, including overlooks of Coal Mine Brook, educational/environmental/wildlife kiosks at the overlooks, accessible parking areas, benches with available companion seating, improved vistas of Lake Quinsigamond, picnic areas, pedestrian lighting, perimeter wooden guardrails and fencing, tree trimming and tree plantings. A playground and adult fitness area will also be included.
“We are greatly appreciative of the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to help local communities preserve their natural resources, and this grant will help us do that with Coal Mine Brook,” City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. said, noting the City of Worcester’s commitment of $1 million toward the project. “We are fortunate to have so many recreational resources in Worcester, and this project will enhance those offerings.”
“When we started the city’s Blue Space Program six years ago, these sorts of improvements to the built environment were the goal. This project will enhance and emphasize the vital presence of Coal Mine Brook, a tributary that feeds Lake Quinsigamond,” said Mayor Joseph M. Petty. “This project will drive positive activity around the lake and create another space for people to walk and enjoy nature in the City of Worcester.”
“I’m so happy to hear that the Coal Mine Brook has received this grant,” District 2 City Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson said. “This is an exciting project, and I know residents in the area are looking forward to seeing the renovation come to fruition. I’ll continue to advocate for recreational spaces like this in District 2 and I am grateful for the work of the City Administration and the Baker-Polito Administration for making this renovation possible.”
Construction at Coal Mine Brook is expected to start in the spring of 2022.
