Greenfield plans multipurpose recreation center and park; designers seek additional $6 million grant

John Viera, part owner of NJA Architecture, gave the Greenfield City Planning Commission an update on the proposed Greenfield Recreation Center and Park, outlining the site plan, design priorities, funding status and an estimated schedule.

Viera said the city previously secured an $8,500,000 Proposition 68 grant and the design team is pursuing a separate competitive federal grant administered through the state parks program that could provide roughly $6,000,000. "We are looking very competitive of getting awarded that grant," Viera said, adding the city will learn its standing in January. He noted the design and engineering work is aimed at making the project ‘‘close to shovel ready’’ to score higher on the application.

The project site is a single large parcel bounded by 12th Street and Apple (adjacent to the new elementary school). The schematic design breaks the site into a multipurpose plaza, a playground and splash pad, a multipurpose athletic field and a single recreation building located toward the rear of the property. The design team emphasized universal-access principles for playground elements and pathways and said the playground will be the first in the area to meet several universal-design…