An East Baltimore park has undergone a $3.6 million renovation, including upgrades to the playground, the addition of an outdoor classroom, and other updates.
Parks & People, a nonprofit working to improve and expand green spaces in Baltimore City, held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday to mark the grand opening of the renovated Cecil Community Park, located at Cecil Elementary School in East Baltimore Midway.
“Cecil Community Park is a beacon of what we can achieve when we invest in our youth and their education,” said Parks & People CEO Frank Lance in a statement. “Parks & People is committed to transforming our city, and Cecil Community Park stands as a testament to that mission. This park will not only offer a safe and fun space for children but will also provide a platform for educational programs, fostering a brighter future for our young generation.”
Spanning 1.5 acres, the project involved the complete renovation of the school’s park and playground spaces. The park also has a new outdoor classroom and raised garden beds, serving as “a hub for outdoor experiential learning, recreation, and community involvement,” according to a news release.
The park is intended to not only support the school community, but also the more than 2,000 residents who live within a quarter-mile radius of the space.
“This project embodies our commitment to building stronger, healthier neighborhoods through strategic investments in green spaces,” Mayor Brandon M. Scott said in a statement. “Building better park and recreation spaces to ensure every Baltimorean has access to world-class facilities has been a cornerstone of my administration.”
Scott added, “Cecil Community Park is a shining example of how public-private partnerships can help create lasting, positive change in our communities. By transforming this space, we’re providing a safe, welcoming environment for families and children, improving the quality of life for residents, and fostering a sense of pride and ownership in the neighborhood. Projects like this show the power of collaboration in creating a better future for Baltimore.”
The renovated park is the product of collaboration among Parks & People, the Central Baltimore Partnership, The Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs, Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, and the East Baltimore Midway community.
Funding came from a mix of public and private sources, including The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, the France-Merrick Foundation, the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs, and Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
“Creating Cecil Community Park was the top priority for the Cecil Elementary School and East Baltimore Midway community,” said Ellen Janes, Executive Director of Central Baltimore Partnership. “Through a participatory process, they envisioned a welcoming space where the entire community could have fun and meet their health goals. This Park is a true community achievement, and we look forward to keeping it as vibrant and active as possible with sports leagues, classes, and a wide array of gatherings.”
This year, Parks & People celebrates its 40th anniversary. The organization has completed 48 park projects, which have reinvested $15.4 million in underserved communities and impacted approximately 109,000 residents, according to the news release from the nonprofit.
2000 residents live within the community for this park but not one was invited to the ceremony of its grand opening. You guys do not live in the community. This is not a good playground after 6 o’clock the teenagers come running in turn on the water and spray each other and run through the alleys all times the night no the community is and out all times if night especially on the weekend we are not excited about this playground that needs to be locked up after 6. This playground after dusk this playground is not for the community. In fact we need a petition to lock the playground up after 6 o’clock we need gates put up high enough that they can’t jump over the trash over. There was only cleaned up because you guys came to the program. Dogs are allowed on this park four wheelers and dirt bikes are allowed. No this park is not a plus for the community. That’s why they didn’t invite the residence cause we sure would’ve came out and told the truth about this park. The great Green Mountain community Association will be visited by the residence in the upcoming month to tell and to show film and video of all the chaos this park is causing because it is left open after Desk. It is nothing but a haven for teenagers in the evening thanks a lot Parks & Rec. Thanks a lot great Greenmount. Thanks a lot. May Brandon for putting this nuisance in the community without after our thoughts of security the Baltimore city police will not make them get off the playground at 12 o’clock at night when they should be home in the. Only a crime will make them it’s a V. 311 and 911 has been called to this park many times pull up the statistics no this is not for the residence. This is for the wayward teenagers. They have nowhere to go at the 6 o’clock and the residence that live right behind it they suffer the most the screaming the run and the in and out the alley leading to this part needs to have a lot put on it after hours after school hours it will not last you will be spending another 3.6 million to repair it. The four wheelers and the motorcycles constantly run down the hill onto the property racing video of the trash is unbelievable. The school don’t know if they are to clean it up the daycare to clean it up or the Recreation to clean it up you guys saw it cleaned up for your ceremony. It has not been clean since or before you got there now this park is not for the community. This park is for the teenagers, thanks for making us residence. Be the police. no other parking in Baltimore city is experiencing this type of behavior when the teachers go home after 5 o’clock from Cecil Elementary School Owens meals Glen Burnie, Charles Village they don’t see the hell these children put the residence through with this noise.