LAWRENCE — Mullaney “Hancock” Park reopened Wednesday after $500.000 of improvements through a community development block grant.
The CDBG grants were used to transform “the long-abandoned park into a safe, welcoming space for families, children, and community members,” according to Mayor Brian DePeña.
The park has numerous improvements, including new basketball courts, a new bike rack and updated trash receptacles, revitalized landscaping, including trees, rehabilitation of a historic stone wall to protect the courts, baseball fields, repaired fencing to ensure long-term safety, and bleachers.
With an entrance at Leonard and Bernard avenues, the park was originally a gift to the city from the Essex Company — the business responsible for Lawrence’s founding in 1847 and development in the 19th century.
The park was later dedicated to World War I Army hero, Sgt. John Mullaney, who was killed in action on Oct. 6, 1918, in the Argonne Forest in France.
Those who worked on the park renovations included TEC Engineers, Belko Landscaping Construction, Lawrence Department of Public Works and Health and Human Services and local organizations.
Mullaney “Hancock” Park now stands ready to serve hundreds of children and families daily, including students from the Guilmette and Hennessey Schools, residents of the Hancock Public Housing Authority, and the Tower Hill community, DePena said.