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WASHINGTON - The City of New Haven will receive more than $300,000 to restore deteriorating recreational facilities at DeGale Field, Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman and Representative Rosa DeLauro announced today. The funds, made available through the National Park Service's Urban Park and Recreation Recovery (UPARR) initiative, will improve the park's volleyball courts, sports lighting, playscape equipment, and sitting area.
"As the temperature goes up, so does the need for quality parks – like DeGale Field - in Connecticut," said Dodd. "This assistance will help ensure that DeGale Field is around for future generations to enjoy and appreciate."
"Parks and recreation centers have long been invaluable oases for urban communities," Lieberman said. "For New Haven's parks to fall out of use because of deteriorating facilities is a tragedy, and I am grateful that these National Park Services Funds will help restore DeGale Field to the inviting community resource it once was."
"With the improvements to this park, we will be able to provide a clean, safe recreational environment for hundreds of families and children in the Dixwell neighborhood," said DeLauro. "This project embraces the concepts of smart growth and sustainable development by encouraging both physical improvements, economic development, and recreational use. We are not just creating a brand new recreational area, but assisting in the revitalization effort of the entire neighborhood."
The UPARR program was established to help cities rehabilitate recreation facilities and to encourage development of local park and recreation sites. A survey administered by the New Haven Department of Parks, Recreation & Trees found that although 76% of respondents had visited a city park during the past year, poorly-maintained facilities were a major deterrent for city residents using the park system - 32% of survey respondents indicated that deteriorating facilities were their primary reason for staying away from city parks.
New Haven's park system dates back to 1640 with the establishment of the Green in downtown New Haven. The first master plan for the city's parks was developed by landscape architects Fredrick Law Olmsted Jr. and Cass Gilbert in 1910.
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