Lowell Mayor Erik Gitschier welcomes the public while standing in front of the play area for children ages 5 to 12. (Photo Courtesy City of Lowell)

LOWELL — The City of Lowell cut the ribbon on a newly renovated Father Maguire Park after using $1.43 million in federal and local funds to upgrade the playground, basketball courts, tennis court, and to add four pickleball courts.

The three full-sized basketball courts at the park, named in honor of Cheryl Letendre Saba, who spent years organizing a summer basketball league on them, were resurfaced and repainted, and new equipment was installed. The tennis court was also revamped, and a second tennis court was turned into four pickleball courts.

The park’s playground was expanded to include play areas for both children ages 2 to 5 and children ages 5 to 12. The play equipment for older children is two stories tall, and includes a spiral slide and climbing opportunities.

A central plaza with new concrete and picnic tables was also added. In addition to being a public park, the area also serves students from the nearby Joseph A. McAvinnue Elementary School.

“The guiding factor in our design was the basketball courts, so we created an athletic style, theme and color palette,” said Brianna Martinez, a Design Planner from the Department of Planning and Development who helped to redesign the park. “The pickleball courts were added as part of our effort to make that sport accessible across the city.”

Mayor Erik Gitschier credited City Councilor Daniel P. Rourke for his efforts to get the park renovated using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. ARPA funds were used to renovate parks across the city, with district councilors helping to ensure that all neighborhoods benefited.

City Councilors Rita Mercier, Sidney Liang, and Belinda Juran attended the ribbon cutting, as did a representative of Sen. Vanna Howard.

Father Maguire Park is one of 11 parks that the city is transforming in 2025 and 2026, and one of eight that are being renovated with $9 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. Renovating 11 parks in this timeframe marks a threefold increase over the city’s historic park renovation pace.

The overall project is one of the most ambitious investments in public space in recent Lowell history.

In addition to creating fun play spaces for children and green spaces for adults, building more durable public spaces helps Lowell become more climate resilient. The overall park improvement project will see 166 trees and more than 1,600 native shrubs and perennials planted in public spaces. These improvements help rejuvenate neighborhoods and provide shade that can help reduce urban heat.

“Father Maguire Park is popular with youth basketball leagues and families from throughout Pawtucketville, and we are proud that we were able to renovate it and make it the best recreational space that we can,” said City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr. “Our ongoing parks project is revolutionizing recreational opportunities for families in Lowell, and I want to thank everyone who has contributed to it and made it possible.”

For more information on the park projects and other ongoing open space initiatives, please visit: https://www.lowellma.gov/1653/Open-Space-Projects.