Woonsocket announced a deal to begin installation of Phase II upgrades to Cass Park.  The upgrades will include a new playground, walkways, updated landscaping and new sitting areas.

The contract for the Phase II upgrades was awarded to Central Nurseries of Johnston in the amount of $292,944.25.  Those funds were received from a Federal Community Development Block Grant, which was matched by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, according to a press release by the city.

The new playground will contain a large jungle gym (called a "spacenet,") six slides, a roofed play deck, a fire pole, an "air dancer" (a bar that rests on two long poles, which kids can use their momentum to swing on,) a triple ring fling,  a summit climber, a chinning bar and a swing set with four swings.

The plans also include space for four new picnic tables and four seating areas where parents will be able to watch their kids play.  New walkways, which connect the playground area with the rest of the park will also be installed.

The city announced the plans on Earth Day, last Friday, which was the same day a number of volunteers from National Grid as well as local residents participated in a clean up.  The clean up netted five dumpsters full of trash from the park.

Cass Park is a 55 acre park near Woonsocket High School on Cass Avenue.  The park boasts some of the city's most precious open space, with wildlife, wetlands and woods with paths for hiking. An old playground and athletic fields surround a five acre man-made lake, Cass Pond, which is stocked with trout for fishing.

Phase I of the Cass park upgrades centered around upgrading the little league field and tree pruning.  The work for Phase I began last fall and should be completed by April 30, in time for little league baseball season, according to the release.

Another round of improvements, Phase III, will be going out for bidding later this spring.