Making improvements to popular recreational facilities and cultural and historical resources - by Joseph Solomon

June 14, 2019 - Rhode Island
Joseph Solomon,
Mayor of Warwick

As the summer approaches, we’re making a number of improvements to some of our most popular recreational facilities and cultural and historical resources.

 Warwick’s City Park, a 126-acre park nestled in the Buttonwoods neighborhood, offers baseball fields, picnic areas, a beach, play areas, a paved bicycle/walking path and two dog parks. The park is presently being enhanced with a $350,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Management (DEM) for new dugouts, picnic shelters and solar-powered restrooms and trash receptacles to increase the comfort and enjoyment of all who visit this hidden gem of our community. Having top-notch ballfields will further our efforts to attract statewide and regional tournaments that will enhance our sports programs and support our local tourism and hospitality economy.

In cooperation with the city, DEM has also begun construction of a new fishing pier at Rocky Point.  The 123-acre property, with sweeping views of Narragansett Bay, was home to an amusement park from the 1850s until its closure in the 1990s. Today, the park has been restored and open to the public for passive recreation, including hiking, rock climbing, picnicking, walking and bike riding. The old pier had fallen into disrepair many years ago. The new 280-foot long, T-shaped pier will include benches, solar lighting, railings of varying heights and a shade structure, and will serve as a symbol not only of the park’s storied history, but our rich maritime heritage. I am proud to have led efforts more than a decade ago to preserve Rocky Point and look forward to continuing our collaboration with DEM to improve this crown jewel of Warwick and Rhode Island.

And work is also slated this season for over $100,000 worth of grant-funded improvements at the Salter Grove Park.  A new playground will offer better accessibility and enhanced landscaping will make the area more attractive. Modern swings, a climbing structure, slide, pod steppers and more will provide terrific opportunities for families to enjoy spending time together in the great outdoors.

Elsewhere in the city, our employees have been making modest aesthetic and safety improvements to our neighborhood playgrounds and parks. We look forward to continuing these efforts to provide attractive, fun places for residents of all ages to enjoy.

In addition to the wide-ranging projects at our parks and playgrounds, grant funding is providing for improvements at the cemetery of General George Sears Greene, a venerated Civil War hero and Warwick’s native son. The project includes construction of a staircase leading to the cemetery, several small seating walls, interpretive signage panels, benches, iron fencing, and other enhancements, including parking at the end of the former Kettle St. Given tremendous interest in the Greene family, particularly from out-of-state history buffs visiting our community, this project will allow us to celebrate the accomplishments of General Greene and his role in our nation’s history while attracting additional tourists to our community.  

I welcome you to visit Warwick this summer and take advantage of our parks, recreational facilities, fantastic restaurants, 39 miles of coastline and a host of family-friendly, affordable events. For more information, log on to visitwarwickri.com.

Joseph Solomon is the mayor of Warwick.

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