Starting next week, upgrades to the Howland Park playground begin in #MiddletownRI. While this work is underway, the playground area at Howland Park will be off limits, but the rest of the Third Beach Road park will remain open.
HOWLAND PARK PLAYGROUND ENHANCEMENT WORK STARTING SOON
MIDDLETOWN, RI (MARCH 13, 2025) – Upgrades to the playground at Howland Park begin the week of March 17.
Town Operations & Facility Manager Will Cronin said removal of the existing play structures at 10 Third Beach Road will be handled by a crew with the town’s Department of Public Works.
That work and site preparations are expected to take about 10 days to complete. From there, the installation of the new playground equipment by MRC Design of Spring Lake, New Jersey is scheduled to go on for about two weeks.
During the project from March 17 to around April 7, the playground portion of Howland Park will be off limits. However, Cronin said the remainder of Howland Park will be open for use.
To check out renderings of the new Howland Park play set, go to https://mdl.town/Howland-Playground online.
Cronin encouraged those looking for playground spaces while Howland Park is out of commission to use Linden Park at 141 West Main Road as well as those at the schools after hours.
“Since we awarded the contract, I’ve heard nothing but positives from the community about the work that’s going to be happening,” Cronin said. “They’re good designs and we wanted to make sure our playgrounds are open and accessible to as many different groups as possible.”
Once the playground work at Howland Park wrapped up, Public Works crews will repeat the process at Linden Park.
A set schedule for that work hasn’t been determined, but Cronin said the playground removal there will likely begin in about three weeks — or around April 7. The playground portion of Linden Park will be closed during the project, but the rest of the facility will be open.
Once a firmer timeline for the Linden Park playground project is finalized, it will be publicized across the community.
To see renderings of the Linden Park play set, go to https://mdl.town/Linden-Playground online.
The Town Council awarded the contract for the playground work to MRC using about $240,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds. That means town tax dollars will not be used for the work.
“We’re constantly looking for new and exciting ways to improve what we offer the community,” Cronin said. “It had been awhile since we’d updated the playgrounds and it made perfect sense. We’re really appreciative to the Town Council for moving forward with this project because it benefits so many different parts of our community.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Play
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
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