City Councilman Brian O’Neill on Tuesday cut the ribbon on a $660,000 project to upgrade and renovate Picariello Playground, 10801 Calera Road.
Anne Marie Dunne, a deputy commissioner for the Department of Parks and Recreation, said improvements included new basketball and volleyball courts, play equipment and safety surface.
Dunne thanked O’Neill and the parks and rec staff, including Picariello supervisor Kathy Tunney and the operations crew for keeping the playground looking nice and contributing to a safer, greener and cleaner city.
O’Neill said Picariello needed a “refresh” after the last upgrades a decade or more ago. He said COVID delayed improvements for a few years.
“This is just beautiful,” he said.
O’Neill thanked the employees in parks and recreation’s capital projects, maintenance and programming divisions for stretching dollars to upkeep the 20 playgrounds in his district.
The councilman said the playground is supplemented well by the rec building and Liberty Bell Youth Organization’s clubhouse and gym. He said future improvements will include gates on the tennis courts and a replacement of the boards on the hockey court. ••
