By Scott Calzolaio

Work is halted on the Milford Town Park renovation project as the cold months leave the remaining work impossible until March. Construction will pick back up then, and is expected to be completed by the end of April, when a grand re-opening celebration will be held.

With the excitement on hold, Parks and Recreation Department Administrator James Asam took some time to reflect on the project vision. 

“They worked pretty much straight through to the point where nothing else could really be done right now,” he said. “But it’s going to look great when it’s done.”

Pickleball courts and light pole being installed. Photo source: Town of Milford

 Rockland construction company R.A.D. Sports won the bid for the job last year, and have been integral to this project’s success, Asam said.

“R.A.D. Sports have been great,” he said. “The product is great, and I’m looking forward to the end result so people can use it.”

The newly designed Town Park will feature all of the old amenities, along with a couple of new recreational options. Spanning from Congress Street to the middle of the park are two new basketball courts. Overlapping the courts, to be used at separate times, is a street hockey rink, spanning from the playground to the bandstand. 

The lines of the courts are overlapped, so only one sport can be played at a time. 

Asam said there will be set schedules for each sport, but the courts will be primarily used for basketball, as that season tends to span longer. 

Additionally, two new tennis courts were laid, along with four pickleball courts, to avoid any conflict between the two sports.

Options to permit any of the courts will be available to book through the Parks Department as well. All booking and scheduling information will be available on their website after the renovations are complete, Asam said.

Other features of the renovation include new walkways, lighting fixtures, picnic tables, and benches along the path.

The bandstand and bathrooms are due for a makeover as well, but these two structures were bid out separately. According to Asam, money will be appropriated in May to renovate those structures over the next year.

According to the town website, after 18 months of planning, the construction phase began in mid-2024.

The project is being paid for by a Community Development Block Grant plus a few additional town appropriations. 

Fenced-off areas around the construction area are off limits to the public, the town website warns.