MONTAGUE — An award of $737,395 in Community Development Block Grant funds was given to the town for the reconstruction of Rutter’s Park, four human service programs and ongoing housing rehabilitation projects.
Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito announced over $32 million of grant awards through a competitive process last week and Montague was one of 59 communities awarded, according to state officials.
Town Administrator Steve Ellis said the Rutter’s Park project has been years in the making and the funds from the award are continuing previous design work funded through Community Development Block Grant awards.
“(The project) will greatly enhance recreational opportunities for residents and visitors in the village of Lake Pleasant,” Ellis said.
Proposed improvements to Rutter Park, between Montague Avenue and Broadway in Lake Pleasant, will include a 20-by-28-foot pavilion, a rain garden, a playground with modern structures, picnic tables, a flag pole, open space and off-street parking space, according to Ellis. The park will be fully accessible according to ADA specifications.
Ellis said other money will be going to four local programs.
“Each of which serves a critical role relative to the continuum of needs in the community,” Ellis said. The human service grants will fund programs operated by LifePath, which provides home-delivered meals for elders; Montague Catholic Social Ministries, a family literacy program; the Brick House, which provides youths with opportunities for leadership and the Western Massachusetts Training Consortium, a recovery learning community.
“CDBG funding is essential to our capacity to address the diverse needs of our community,” Ellis said. “While improvements to infrastructure, such as the development of new parks, downtown streetscapes and key buildings garner much of the attention, our ability to partner with and support the work of local human service agencies and the Franklin Regional Housing Authority also has a profound and positive impact on our community.”