If you're headed to Gillette Stadium for one of the Patriots last two home games later this month you might notice the start of a construction project near the team's current practice fields. Following their work on the redesign of Gillette Stadium's north end, the Kraft Group has again contracted Suffolk Construction to begin work on a brand-new, stand-alone training facility for the exclusive use of the football team.
The three-level structure will more than double the square footage of the team's current footprint located inside Gillette Stadium. While the day-to-day activities will primarily be spent in and around the new center, the core pieces for the team's gameday needs, including their stadium locker room, will remain intact.
"The whole project is designed around the players and the player experience," explained Kraft Sports and Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Jim Nolan. "As teams and team operations have grown, it was time for us to design a larger facility exclusively for the operation of the football team. The main floor is designed for where the players will work out, train, rehab, relax, and eat. The top floor is designed for where players and coaches will watch game film, strategize and meet." [New England Patriots]
Goosport Park, 1619 Cessford St., will become an oasis during the summer months. Next year, construction on the new Goosport Park Pool will begin. The city announced the project on Thursday.
Not only will the project offer a refreshing reprieve during hot weather, it will also tackle a fatal issue: drowning. There is a rise in drowning deaths in the United States, according to a CDC Vital Signs Study that was released earlier this year. From 2020 to 2022, 4,500 people died from drowning each year — 500 more deaths than in 2019.
The CDC cited a lack of access to swimming lessons as a “barrier” that prevents safe swimming, and 4 million adults do not know how to swim. Thirty-seven percent of Black adults don’t know how to swim, compared to 15 percent of all adults. Additionally, two in three Black adults and three in four Hispanic adults have never taken a swimming lesson. [American Press]
A new rec center. Pool upgrades. Renovating a historic farmhouse. These are among the priorities for the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission.
County officials have approved a new five-year plan for county parks, recreational facilities and preserves across the county. It is a blueprint for potential improvement projects in 2025-2029.
The 332-page master plan covers numerous items, including recently completed projects and priorities for each of the county’s assets. The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday, Dec. 4 to approve it. [M Live]
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