Last Thursday afternoon, about 20 Marblehead Youth Hockey players picked up their sticks for a street hockey game on the cement rink at Reynolds Field as part of noise testing for a $3.3 million refurbishment project.
The project, funded by the Larz Anderson trust, is in its early stages. The first goal is to build an open-air, refrigerated rink. At the same size of the current cement rink (70 by 170 feet), it will be 85% the size of a regulation ice hockey rink.
Recreation and Parks Commissioner Shelly Bedrossian, who is leading the project, says the surface will be ice 22 weeks a year and serve as a practice rink for Marblehead Youth Hockey and space for community skating, curling and other activities. The rink will be filled with modular turf the rest of the year for other sports and multi-generational programming.
Phase two of the project involves replacing the current playing field at Reynolds with either grass or turf. There is currently no funding for phase two. Phase three, which can happen concurrently as funding comes in, is developing an ADA and maintenance plan for the project.
Engineering and wetland surveys have been completed, and on Dec. 3 consulting firm Acentech conducted ambient noise tests to assess the impact on neighbors. Sub-surface testing should be complete by mid-January, according to Bedrossian.
Bedrossian and other organizers have held several community meetings with neighbors to address their concerns, which include noise, traffic and parking.
Daniel “Flynnie” Kelley was making shots in the pick-up game last week. He’s been playing hockey since he was 3.
“I love hockey because it’s fast,” he said. Currently, he and other youth hockey players have to drive to Revere, or beyond, to get ice time.
“It would be great to be able to play here in town,” Kelley added.
Chris Connolly’s son, Chapman, plays Marblehead Youth Hockey. Chris is excited about having a sports facility like this close to home.
“We need an ice rink, and we need more reliable field space in town,” he said.
Bedrossian and Rec & Parks Commissioner Chris Kennedy met with the town’s DPW on Dec. 1 to strategize how town departments can work together on this project and maximize efficiencies. A few examples include:
— Marblehead Municipal Light Department is helping with new sports lighting to reduce light leaks at the property.
— The Marblehead Tree Department is helping Recreation & Parks with tree planting and beautification.
— The Department of Public Works has a large amount of fill that can be used to maximize savings.
— The sustainability coordinator made recommendations to help secure grants for ADA compliance and to help secure tax credits for using certain materials in the project.
— The town engineer will be involved in the subsurface investigation to provide historical data. The Transfer Station will help dispose of certain materials.
The Reynolds Field area will be discussed at the next Traffic Advisory Meeting to determine whether it can be added to the Complete Streets List. Rec & Parks’ goal is to have phase 1 completed by next November. People can follow progress at marbleheadma.gov/reynolds-field-refurbishment-project/.
