King Philip’s Stockade Park Renovations and Improvements

Challenge

The King Philip’s Stockade, an historic area of the larger Forest Park managed by the Department of Parks, had been closed to the public for several years and was in need of new and improved facilities. Additionally, the park did not originally provide comfort stations and there was no sewer service to the site.

Solution

GZA provided civil engineering and landscape architectural design services, which included new vehicular access and parking, an extensive pedestrian trail system, restoration of the historic overlook area, and other recreational amenities. All facilities are handicap accessible. Additionally, an historic bronze statue of King Philip was brought from its temporary home at the Springfield Technical Community College and re-installed at the Stockade.

In response to the City’s desire to provide new restrooms, GZA designed two modular and fully accessible comfort stations, each with men’s and women’s separate restrooms. Both comfort stations include a grinder sewage pumping system, with force main connection to the public sewer in the adjacent town of Longmeadow. This work required close coordination and permitting with the adjacent town, as well as the regional wastewater authority.

New or renovated park features:

• Two (2) modular comfort station and restrooms facilities, with grinder pumps discharging to a municipal sewer
• Two (2) 3,700-square-foot pavilions
• Expanded parking facilities and improved accessibility
• Improved site drainage
• New domestic water service
• Ornamental site lighting
• Relocation of historic King Philip’s statue
• Picnic pavilions with tables and accessible seating
• Installation of water fountains and trash receptacles
• Site landscaping and irrigation
   

Benefit

The project included ADA-compliant accessibility improvements and the inclusion of bathroom facilities. The variety of park amenities installed can be enjoyed by park-goers of all ages.