By George P. Hassett

An underutilized playground in East Somerville may soon become prime hotel space with the city getting a state of the art tot lot out of the deal.

At the end of Cross Street East is Harris Park, a playground that rarely sees any children. Surrounding the park is property owned by neighboring Stop and Shop. Stop and Shop wants to sell some of the land to hotel developers and would give their property, located a short distance down the street, to the city in exchange for the city property at Harris Park, said Ward 1 Alderman Bill Roche who strongly supports the plan.                            

The city would receive a piece of property just a few short steps from Harris Park where three garages now stand. Roche said the property the city would end up with is three times bigger than what they have at Harris Park now.

Spokesman for Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Thomas P. Champion said there is no firm proposal for a land swap between Stop and Shop and the city. However, Roche said the swap is “definitely going to happen.”

“Stop and Shop needs Harris Park to accomplish the hotel plan,” he said.

Roche said he would support a hotel in the neighborhood as long as traffic would be rerouted away from the residential neighborhood and onto Mystic Avenue and McGrath Highway.

The neighborhood surrounding Harris Park has undergone some dramatic changes in the last six years and the need for a recreational spot for parents and infants is bigger than ever, he said. There were more senior citizens living in the 10 blocks around the park than any other area in the city until a number of deaths opened properties eventually purchased by younger families, he said.

“The property with three garages on it would become a top shelf park designed for the young children in the neighborhood. There would not be any basketball courts or any reason for teens to hang out here. Just young families,” Roche said.

He said there is not much demand in the neighborhood for basketball courts because just down the street at East Somerville Community School there are three full courts and two half courts.

Roche said a tot lot would be a good replacement for Harris Park which gets its biggest use at night as a hangout for local teens. Every few weeks, Roche asks the Department of Public Works to change the sand at the park because items such as condoms, beer bottles and drug paraphernalia are prone to pop up. Roche said the park is ideal for underage drinking because it is at the end of a dark, dead end street.