Leavitt Park slated for nearly half a million in improvements

LACONIA — Leavitt Park will likely have a new look by this time next year, as nearly a half-million-dollar upgrade is about to be put out to bid.

The project, which was approved by city council earlier this year, calls for upgrades to the interior and exterior of the parkhouse, as well as new playground equipment and a reconstructed walking path to address drainage problems.

When complete, the park should be more attractive to groups looking to rent it, more accessible for people with disabilities, and more enjoyable for residents who use the park for exercise and play.

The planned improvements will largely be funded through the Community Development Finance Authority, which in March invited municipalities to apply for funding to improve or repair community centers. Parks and Recreation staff, in concert with the Leavitt Park Community Volunteers and City Councilor Tony Felch (Ward 6), succeeded in securing grant funding to pay for $460,000 in improvements.

Felch said this week that the final specifications are being prepared, with hopes the project will be put out to bid by the end of this month, that interior improvements will be made this winter and that exterior work will be completed by August 2024.

The vast majority of the bill — $392,870, specifically — will come from the CDFA grant. The Leavitt Park organization will contribute $50,000, and about $20,000 will come from the Parks Department’s impact fee revenues.

Inside, the parkhouse will be improved with new flooring. A new public address system is in the plans, as well as a gazebo that will be constructed near the parkhouse's main entrance.

Regarding the gazebo, Felch said, “it’s kind of oblong, like a bandstand.” He envisions the gazebo being used for musical performances, as well as for weddings, which already account for much of the parkhouse’s use.

In addition to the gazebo, the deck will be extended, and will include a ramp that connects it to the parking lot, improving accessibility for the parkhouse.

In the park itself, the funding will pay for a reconstructed walking path, which currently collects water when it rains. The plans also call for a new play area.

“A whole new playground, completely redone,” Felch said. The playground area will be about the same size as the current one, but will be arranged in a rectangle and enclosed with fencing to improve safety. The new equipment will include some accessible features and mats that will allow people in wheelchairs to access them.

“It’s very well-used. It’s used a lot; soccer, lacrosse, the schools use it. We have some churches that do programs there,” Felch said of the park, noting that one church rents the parkhouse for services every Sunday.

“In my opinion, it’s the best park in the city,” Felch said.