$7.2M set for updating troubled Roxbury park, but some say renovations aren't enough

A controversial park in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood is set to receive some major upgrades.

According to Boston’s mayor’s office, $7.2 million from this year's city operating budget has been allocated to the Clifford Park playground just off Norfolk Avenue. 

According to Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ryan Woods, the money will be used to make the park “more favorable”.

“If the park is going to get renovated of course it's a win," said Marla Smith, a nearby neighbor. "It's really like, about time.”

Marla Smith has lived less than 50 feet from Clifford Park for the last 30 years. In those years she says it hasn't changed once.

However, in the fall of 2019 she said there was a plan in place to renovate it. The city held a community meeting which she attended.

“There was a whole pitch that the park was going to get fixed, the park was going to get rehabbed. But then it fell through I don’t know why."

She said that this go around, she’ll believe the plan once shovels hit the ground. However, even if the park gets renovated, she says that only solves half the issue.

The park is located less than a mile from the area known as Mass and Cass., a troubled area of the city where people visibly buy, sell and use drugs.

“It's tough,” said Domingos DaRosa. “It’s tough to bring kids down here as young as 3 years old.”

DaRosa has been the president of the pop warner football Boston Bengals for the last 15 years and in those years his football program has practiced on Clifford Park’s field.

Last year before every practice, he said he took a video to show city leaders the state of the field his team has to practice on. He said he would pick up anywhere from 10-25 needles left on the field before every practice.

One night one of his players got pricked.

“He has spent the last year taking meds to make sure that he’s OK, he’s only 9.”

So, when it comes to this renovation plan, he hopes it comes with a plan to address the activity down the street. He believes you can't fix one without fixing both.

“Until that gets addressed, the park isn’t going to be safe, the streets are going to be safe, nothing is going to be safe," DeRosa added.

The first community meeting for the park renovation is planned for August, and all interested residents are welcome to be a part of the process. 

Parks and Recreation will also be launching a website for residents to engage with this project. Community members can stay up to date with the Clifford Park project by signing up for the email list on their website, calling 617-635-4505, or visiting by visiting their offices located at 1010 Massachusetts Ave.