The startup of renovation activities at Conway Park are expected to commence sometime this spring.

By Alex Reidy

The sixth and final public meeting concerning the Conway Field and Playground Renovation was held on Wednesday, March 24, where many issues were put to rest as they plan to get underway with construction.

Sometime this spring is the intended start date, with spring 2022 being the estimated completion date.

Phase 1 includes site preparation and traffic management. Around 4,000 tons of contaminated soil is to be removed from the park and therefore a large amount of truck traffic will be expected.

Controlled entrances to the park will be set up, a decontamination zone for entering and exiting trucks, and a closed section of sidewalk will all be set up in order to complete construction efficiently and effectively.

Phase 2 consists of the actual removal and replacement of the soil and the installation of a new synthetic field.

Phase 3 is the renovation of the park itself, including the new multi-use field, two little league fields, resurfacing of the basketball courts, planting of new trees around the perimeter, and installing a geo textile fabric barrier that separates old soil that will not be taken out with the new soil.

The park itself has a storied history, where it used to be a dye works in the 1930’s, then in the 40’s it was converted into a park and has been renovated in 1971 and 2001.

Lead and other hazardous materials were found in the soil in 2017 and the park was subsequently shut down.

Because of these hazards, dust is a major problem and the wetting of soil may be needed to alleviate dust blowing off the site. The destination of the hazardous soil is still to be determined.