Rec. commissioner reports progress with rink, pool

By Mike Berger

John McCourt, head of the Canton Playground and Recreation Commission, gave two positive reports to the Board of Selectmen Tuesday night regarding the progress of renovations at the Metropolis Skating Rink and the Bolivar pool facility. The two projects were approved by town meeting voters in December 2018 and May 2019, respectively.

Repairs are underway at the Metropolis Skating Rink. (Moira Sweetland photo)

The first to open will be the new Bolivar Aquatics Center, which will include a new pool, deck, bathhouse, splash pad, and various site improvements. McCourt said the contractor began work on the project this week and he is hopeful for an early July opening. He added that the project bid came in at what officials had expected. “So we are in good shape,” he said.

As for the rink, McCourt estimated that it would open in August with the new roof expected to be completed by Christmas. The project has been hit by utility delays with the discovery of a manhole cover in the back of the building requiring some utility changes.

The rink’s ice resurfacer has been ordered and Parks & Recreation Director Liz Francis said she already has received telephone inquiries about ice rentals, although she said rates still have to be set by the town, which leases the rink from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

In other news from the November 19 BOS meeting:

* Selectmen voted to formally amend the development agreement between the town and Canton Holdings, developer of the Paul Revere Heritage Site, regarding construction of a new 60-unit age-restricted apartment building. Of those 60 units, 15 will be designated as moderate-income units but all 60 can be counted towards the town’s affordable housing percentage. The new developer of the rental units, Scott Weymouth of Arista Development, estimated that rents for the two-bedroom units will be in the range of $1,600 to $1,700 per month while one-bedroom units would be around $1,400 per month. Construction on the building will begin in early 2020 with a projected completion date of April 2021. Construction is also ongoing on the condominium units approved for the site, and Bernie Plante of Canton Holdings said the remaining three condo buildings as well as a clubhouse should be completed sometime in the coming year. He also announced that the opening of the new restaurant on site has been pushed back to June due to utility and plumbing delays. The bridge connecting the Revere Heritage Site to Neponset Street should be completed by Christmas, although more work still needs to be done on the new traffic light at that location …

See this week’s Canton Citizen to continue reading this story and for more highlights from the Nov. 19 selectmen’s meeting. Not a subscriber? Click here to order your subscription today (also available in digital form).

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