The reopening ribbon flies after being cut by Mayor Jorge Elorza. Cheering him on are from left: Monica Anderson, Miriam Hospital; Amy Martinez, Friends of Summit Avenue Park; Nancy Buron, Summit Neighborhood Community Gardens; Ethan Gyles, SNA; Wendy Nilsson, Parks Department; Nirva LaFortune, Ward Three councilwoman; Meghan Gardner, city landscape architect; Helene Miller, Partnership for PVD Parks; Arthur Sampson, Miriam Hospital.
By Ethan Gyles
SNA board member
The second and final phase of upgrades at Summit Avenue Park have been completed, and a ribbon cutting to mark the occasion took place on Wednesday, October 25t.
Mild autumn rains held off long enough for remarks by Mayor Jorge Elorza and community leaders in commemorating the occasion. The mayor then wielded ceremonial scissors, snipped the bright orange ribbon, and officially opened the enhanced space to the public.
The second phase of park upgrades included concrete walks, a small wooden play bridge, climbable boulders, log seats, a “little lending library,” and a shade tree with a surrounding bench. Fresh grass, a play house, a new sandbox, jungle-gym repairs, and a lot of painting have also been completed. The first phase of the upgrades included the construction of the new community garden. The Summit neighborhood will benefit from this vibrant multi-use park for many years to come.
SNA sincerely thanks the numerous neighborhood volunteers who stepped up and volunteered their time and energy over the past several years to help bring this project from idea to reality. In no particular order, Read Porter, Jessica Porter, Kerry Kohring, Doug Itkin, Linda Gifford, Annie Voss-Altman, Sarah Hesson, Greg Gerritt, Melissa Dubose, Dean Weinberg, Nancy Buron, John Buron, Annalise Daly, Amy Martinez, and Martha Frankel. We’d also like to thank Mayor Elorza, City Councilor Nirva LaFortune, Parks Superintendent Wendy Nilsson, City Landscape Architect Meghan Gardner, Partnership for Providence Parks’ Helene Miller, and former Parks Director Bob McMahon.
Last, very special thanks go to The Miriam Hospital for their exceptionally generous donation to the project.