Worcester Parks Commissioner Rob Antonelli Highlights $100M Investment, Dog Park Expansion, and Seasonal Challenges

By Hank Stolz | Radio Worcester

Photo-Radio Worcester

WORCESTER, MASS.-Commissioner Rob Antonelli of the Worcester Parks and Recreation Department drops by the Talk of the Commonwealth to give us an overview of what the department does and what they are responsible for.

The Parks Department is once again a cabinet-level position in the city. The Commissioner tells us that the last decade has seen $100 million invested in the city’s parks. Some specific examples of park renovations and new amenities added include the University Park spray park and the Crompton Park skate park. He also points to upcoming projects in Great Brook Valley and other neighborhoods. Antonelli acknowledged that challenges remain with opening some seasonal facilities on time, but the department is working to improve communication and coordination with contractors. In specific cases this season, they discovered late that there were problems with contractors. “We ended up having a problem on that end of it. We’ve learned a little bit more on that end of it. On our end, maybe we should have done a little bit better on reaching out to the contractor and finding out if there are any hiccups.”

The department is expanding the number of dog parks and allowing dogs on leash in more parks, while also working to address issues with homeless populations using some dog parks.