Town ofFoxboroughMassachusetts

Booth Renovation Project

Booth Recreation Complex Renovation Project

Plans were finalized in September of 2023, and we got to work on this project last fall securing estimates and contractors. Now with the good weather, we expect the Booth to be a busy place in the coming months with several contractors working on Phase I of this project, so we wanted to provide an update:
This project will be completed in a total of 3 Phases. This project was made possible in part through grants, donations from multiple groups, and a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. The Recreation Department and Board would like to thank all those involved - we are excited for you to be able to see and enjoy our newly renovated complex!
In June of 2023, the Town of Foxboro Recreation Department applied for and received ARPA funding in the amount of $50,000 for the “Booth Field and Skate Park Renovation Project” and also $25,000 for “Development of Booth Playground on South Street” for a total of $75,000.
This set-in motion a plan to renovate the Booth Recreation Complex. The Recreation Board and Department came up with a list of needs for the project. The Human Services Director reached out to all funding sources to get their commitments and secure the funds.
A presentation was made at the August 2023 Recreation Board meeting and the Board was asked to prioritize the needs and determine which areas to focus on in Phase I.

Funding sources were:

$50,000 ARPA Funds for “Booth Field and Skate Park Renovation Project”
$25,000 ARPA Funds for “Development of Booth Playground on South Street”
$3,400 Jaycees for “Hyland Rink Renovations”
$1000 Men’s Lacrosse for “Hyland Rink Renovations”
$2,000 Booth Gift account to be used for “Amenities for the Booth Summer Program”
$50,000 Rec Revolving account for the “Debbie Giardino Pavilion”
$9000 Foxboro Commission on Disability for “ADA concrete pad for Pavilion”
$27,000 New Skatepark Group for “Skate Park Renovations”
$32,300 Recreation
Total funding secured $199,700

Phase 1:

After presentations and discussion, it was decided phase I would include;

$1,800 Basketball courts
$15,000 Tennis Courts (work has begun)
$10,000 Tot Lot
$64,000 Hyland Rink
$59,900 Skatepark (construction of new ramp has begun off-site and will be installed on or before October 1)
$59,000 Pavilion (frame is up and roof is in progress)

Procurement & Construction Process:

Following this, Recreation secured estimates and contractors in accordance with the legal municipal process we are bound by. There have been some snags:

Pavilion:

The hole for the Pavilion has been filling up with water due to all the rain and high-water table which has delayed that construction but work is set to resume any day now.

Skatepark:

No contractor came forward who was willing to follow the municipal process and simply resurface the middle section of the skate park with Skate Lite (the preferred product of the users), so now a brand-new comparable middle section is being constructed off-site and then will be installed. In addition, the winter was not kind to the skatepark, although we were able to keep it open due to lack of snow, several ramp sections are lifting, which is a hazard, so additional repairs are needed. Our original skate park group is donating $11,000 to either make repairs now or to put towards Phase II of the project. Our plan at this time is to use that donation to make the necessary repairs to the other structures while the middle ramp is being constructed so that the park can reopen. The rain has also delayed the start of construction which is expected to start in the near future.

July 24, 2024 Update: The new center ramp will be installed in September 2024 and it was decided in July 2024 to spend an additional $10K from the Rec Revolving fund to add another section to the center ramp to make it even better. Also, while the park is closed to have that ramp installed, we will make some minor repairs to the outside ramps.

Next Phases:

Once phase 1 of the project is complete and as funding allows, we will move on to Phase II and then Phase III which will involve additional pieces of equipment in the tot lot, replacing additional sections of the skate park, painting fences, removing storage container and adding a storage shed, garage door windows. Because we are a municipality, we are required to pay prevailing wage. In many instances this drives up the cost of the project, but it is the law and we must follow it.

Further Updates:

Be sure to check back for regular updates on our website or attend the Recreation Board's monthly public meetings where this has and will continue to be discussed.