Arthur D. Healey Schoolyard Renovation
Renovation plans for the Arthur D. Healey Schoolyard are underway. When complete, the plans will include a new schoolyard, a new U-12 soccer field, and an ADA accessible pathway between the schoolyard and the Mystic Housing Community.
-
Existing Schoolyard
-
Renovation Background
-
Past Events
-
Sign Up for Project Updates
Existing Schoolyard
The Healey School, at 5 Meacham Street, is located atop a bluff overlooking the Mystic River, interstate 93 and the surrounding community. It provides recreation and play activities for student’s pre-K to 8th grade, and the surrounding community during non-school hours.
The existing Healey schoolyard is an approximately 65,000 square foot asphalt space with basketball and other court games. To the east and directly adjacent to the schoolyard is a steep slope which acts as a physical barrier between the school and the Mystic Housing Community.
Renovation Background
2016 - Fields Master Plan: The City’s Fields Master Plan documented a severe shortage of City owned recreation fields, restricting athletic recreational opportunities for City youth and residents. The Fields Master Plan identified the Healey Schoolyard property as a good site for a new U12 synthetic turf athletic field.
2017 - Healey Mystic Master Plan: The Friends of the Healey were awarded Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds to develop the Healey Mystic Master Plan as a vision for the transformation of the Healey Schoolyard and surrounding neighborhood. Many of the goals included in that plan are now being adopted for the new Healey Schoolyard renovation.
2018 - Schoolyard Design funds: The Somerville Community Preservation Committee awarded Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds for the development of the design of the new schoolyard.
2018 - Healey Geotech Work: The City conducted a Topographic Survey, Geotechnical survey, and Boring Analysis of the schoolyards subsurface conditions to determine the feasibility of making renovation that could include a new soccer field.
2019 - Additional Design funds: Additional funds needed for the design of the Soccer field were approved by the City Council.
2019 – Design Plans: Warner Larson Associates was selected as the Landscape Architecture team for the project.
2019 – 2 to 5 Playground Improvements: The Playground at the side of the school was updated with new features making it safer and more interesting for the young children who use it. Additional changes including a new rubber safety surface will be incorporated as part of the larger schoolyard renovation.
2020 – January Funding Approval: The Somerville City Council approves the funding needed to construct the new Healey Schoolyard.
Community Process
- Four Community Meetings held at the Healey School and Mystic Housing. Presentations and notes form those meetings are available in the menu above.
- Four Targeted Outreach Meetings including Two Healey School Open Houses, a Mystic Tenants Association Meeting, and the Mystic Housing Picnic.
- Four Meetings with Healey School Techers and Administrators.
- One meeting with a group of Healey School Students.
- Online Survey (in four Languages), 133 respondents.
To sign up for project updates or for more information, please contact Arn Franzen at 617-625-6600 ext. 2545, or e-mail [email protected].