Cellucci Park may hold key to downtown's revival
In Hudson, they know it takes more than a village to turn two abandoned lots into a public park. It can take years of planning, countless discussions, hard-won grants, an entire town's perseverance, and lots of other little things, like, oh, volunteers trucking in and spreading a few tons of soil to save on construction fees. And then, of course, it takes a party to celebrate when it's finally done.
On Saturday, music will ring out from the new gazebo at Hudson's Cellucci Park. After a dedication ceremony, the grand opening's tunes will begin with the Hudson High School Jazz Ensemble. Rock 'n' roll by Still in the Cellar follows, and food booths, face painting, and children's activities round out the festivities.
But the star of the show will be the park's new permanent features. Along with the gazebo, the 2-acre downtown parcel includes a splash pad, boccie court, playground, and a footbridge over the Assabet River, as well as a state-of-the-art skatepark so unique that it's already luring out-of-state skateboarders to town.
"This park is part of our whole downtown revitalization effort," said Hudson's director of community development, Michelle Ciccolo.
The gazebo, which provides the town with a new performance space, will be a key element of that draw. The regional Arts Alliance group has already organized a free summer entertainment series at the gazebo, and more events are in the works.
"It's very gratifying for us. I've gone to many meetings over the years about bringing arts to the downtown and bringing the community together, so this is just a wonderful space to have," said Arts Alliance executive director Jan Patterson.
The Saturdays at South Street summer series, which will run for six weeks and is cohosted by the Arts Alliance and Hudson's Division of Recreation, kicks off July 12 with Gerwick Puppets presenting "The Case of the Missing Woodpile." Also scheduled for the 2 p.m. shows are Veronica Robles and her mariachi band (July 19); Irish stories and songs with Mary King (July 26); Henry the Juggler (Aug. 2); the Wholesale Klezmer Band (Aug. 9); and family-friendly Ben Rudnick and Friends (Aug. 16).
A decade ago, the area looked nothing like a future arts destination. The first acre, acquired by the town in the late 1990s in lieu of back taxes, was overgrown and regularly dotted by abandoned cars. The town turned that lot into the passive South Street Park, and soon began planning an expansion. In 2005, it purchased an adjacent lot and started construction. Combined, the parcels now form Cellucci Park.
"It looks wonderful now," said Ciccolo. "It's nice and green and opens up a view to the river that wasn't there before. It took a blighted piece of property and improved it incredibly."
Local teens pushed for including the skatepark. "This was a project we talked about for 12 years," said Linda Ghiloni, director of the Division of Recreation.
Designed by Grindline of Seattle, the skatepark's concrete surface is sculpted into the ground, rather than built up. "There are only a few like this in the country," said Ciccolo. "Linda had a group of kids advising her . . . and they said you don't get bored with that type of skatepark because the possibilities are limitless. It is clearly the wave of the future in skateparks. The Charles River Conservancy is trying to build one similar to ours."
What finally made it all happen though was funding - a lot of it. Costs ran just over $1 million for the full park, including $200,000 for the skateboarding facility. With the town and local donors providing the difference, $760,000 in grants came from the state's Department of Housing and Community Development and Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, funds for which Hudson faced stiff competition.
"It's an enormous application process. It's very onerous. So you have to have a decent amount of staff capacity or good consultants, sadly, to do these grants," said Ciccolo. "But we've been at this a long time and we work on them year-round, so we've gotten the hang of it."
It's expected that the park will not only benefit those who use it, but will draw shoppers downtown, increase property values, and, ultimately, aid in drawing businesses and jobs to an increasingly attractive community.
That's why the town is naming the park for the late Argeo R. Cellucci Jr., chairman of the Hudson Economic Development Committee for 39 years and father of former governor A. Paul Cellucci. In his economic development role, the elder Cellucci was instrumental in bringing some larger corporations to town, including
But while the economic perks may come later, for now the park holds the promise of other, simpler rewards. "I can't wait to see the water on in the splash pad. That's the stuff childhood memories are made of," Ciccolo said.
The Cellucci Park grand opening party is 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday at 37 South St. in Hudson. Free. More details at 978-568-9642.
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