Somerville Breaking Ground on City’s First Inclusive Playground

Community members are invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, June 15, at 3:30 p.m. to celebrate the start of Phase 1 renovations that will transform the Kennedy Schoolyard (5 Cherry St.) into Somerville’s first-ever inclusive playground. 

“As someone who has organized the community to advocate for a schoolyard project, I’m ecstatic to see the Kennedy School Community getting the schoolyard they deserve. Kids have the right to be kids, and that means having access to spaces where children of every ability can play and participate equally,” said Mayor Jake Wilson. “This is a major milestone for the Somerville community and I’m grateful to the families, educators, advocates, and staff who helped bring this vision forward.” 

The project expands the Cherry Street playground by one-third of its size, with every piece of playable equipment fully accessible to children of all physical abilities.  

The final design was shaped through a community engagement process led by the City’s Public Space and Urban Forestry Division. Students, teachers, parents, caregivers, advocates, and groups—including the Special Education Parent Advisory Council and the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities—provided input to help create a playground that reflects community needs. 

Construction begins in June and will occur in two phases over the next two years. 

To learn more and for future project updates, visit voice.somervillema.gov/kennedy-school-playground-renovation. 

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should contact the ADA Coordinator in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov. 

The City of Somerville can provide you with an interpreter in your language for free. To request an interpreter, please contact us at languageaccess@somervillema.gov or call 311 (617-666-3311) at least 7 days in advance of this event. 

This event will be videotaped by the City’s GovTV team. Watch it on-demand with optional closed-captioning (select the CC icon) on YouTube.com/SomervilleCityTV. Or watch on cable TV at GovTV ( somervillema.gov/video) Comcast Ch. 22 and GovTV Astound (RCN) Ch. 13 & 613. Videos generally post within one business day of recording.