The South Broad Street Park is the first view visitors have of the City of Norwich. Plans to upgrade the Park will develop a walking park that will be accessible for all. (Photo by Tyler Murphy)

NORWICH - Longer days. Warmer weather. Spring Showers. All signs that spring is arriving. A very exciting sign of spring this year will be the beginning of construction of a new reimagined plan for the South Broad Street Park.

The current version of the Park has served the community well for decades. However, as the Norwich community has evolved, so has the number, size and offerings at the other parks in the city.

Most of these parks have been upgraded in recent years and include more and safer playground equipment. They also offer a wide variety of activities, including tennis, pickleball, basketball, softball, soccer, baseball, skating, skateboarding, swimming, picnicking, dog walking, along with various types of playground equipment.

The South Broad Street Park is the first view visitors have of the city coming from the south along Route 12. There were several homes in disrepair bordering the north side of the park which have been acquired and razed to improve the line of sight entering the city as well as increasing the size of the park. There is hope to acquire one more property on the north boundary.

Plans to upgrade the Park have been underway for the last two years. Working with a design and engineering firm, a new plan for the Park has been developed. The aim of the plan is to develop a walking park that will be accessible for all: young, old, and those requiring walkers or wheelchairs. There will not be any playground equipment or ball fields. A priority was to provide a safe accessible walking circuit without the worry of interference from stray players or balls interfering with the walking paths.

The current playground equipment is outdated. There are nine other parks with playground equipment, including the two nearby parks at Perry Brown and Hale Street.

The park would include a wide figure eight walking loop that would cover most of the expanded footprint. Benches will be located along the walking route. A new and larger pavilion will be constructed, along with updated parking. The walking circuit would include several spurs that would end with bench seating and a view overlooking Canasawacta Creek.

Plans for the reimagined park have been reviewed with neighbors of the park, city leaders, the parks commission, the youth commission, and a variety of local and state authorities and agencies. Local contractors will be involved in the project. During construction, which is expected to last about three months, the Park will be closed. The project is expected to be completed this summer.

All funding for this project is being generously provided by local foundations and no taxpayer funding is needed. There are many organizations to thank for their involvement in this effort. A special thanks to the Norwich Cemetery Association, the City of Norwich, and several local foundations for their extraordinary support.