WESTFIELD–The city’s project to replace balustrades around several city parks is complete. According to Westfield Mayor Brian Sullivan, the balustrades around Women’s Temperance, Half Mile and Kane-Wojtkiewicz parks, located in the Great River Bridge portion of the city, have been replaced following a project that began in the spring of this year. The previous balustrades at the parks were previously deemed unsafe, which resulted in the city working to replace them.
“It has been some time to finish the project, but we did it without using new money and also addressed the most concerning aspect which is the safety of the parks,” Sullivan said via text message. “I look forward to scheduling events on the north side of the river and bring the enjoyment of the scenic area back to life.”
According to Tammy Tefft, purchaser for the city, the project cost around $210,000. The project, according to a previous report, was expected to cost the city about $300,000. The money for the project came from a bond that was previously passed for park improvements, including the Bullens Field and bleacher repairs ahead of last year’s Babe Ruth World Series.
According to Sullivan, the city is discussing possible financial solutions with all involved parties.
The initial balustrades were installed in 2012, as part of the Great River Bridge Project funded by the state. The city had an assessment done by third-party engineering firm Habeeb and Associates, and following that it was suggested that the balustrades be replaced to improve the safety of the areas.
Tefft said that the parks where the balustrade work was done are now open but there is still some cleaning up to do at the sites.
