Hartford News, October 20-27, 2004

Far-Ranging Master Plan Seeks to Return Pope Park to its Former Glory

An update of the ambitious plan to revitalize Pope Park was presented last Thursday, October 14, at the home of Nick Carbone, former Hartford Deputy Major and a member of the Friends of Pope Park.  Carbone lives in Park Place Towers, which overlooks the park.

Phase One of the Pope Park Master Plan is expected to begin in Spring, 2005. This initial phase calls for the creation of a new entrance to the park at the intersection of Park Street and Park Terrace. This entrance will consist of two brick piers, ornamental iron fencing, new park benches and landscaping improvements.

Additional phases of the plan call for a wide range of improvements designed to reconnect the park with the neighborhood while still remaining faithful to the vision of its founder, bicycle manufacturer Albert Pope, and its designer, famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

Located between Hartford's Frog Hollow and Parkville neighborhoods, Pope Park first opened in 1898 and consisted of 90 acres. Much of this space, however, is currently underused, such as the area north of Park Street and the western portion of the park along the Park River. The Master Plan calls for several measures designed to reconnect the park's various sections. One major improvement would be the reconfiguration of the intersection of Park Terrace, Russ Street and Sigourney Street to allow better pedestrian access between the northern section of the park and the playground which lies north of Russ Street. Along the river, the Master Plan calls for the creation of a soccer field and a "wet meadow" for natural filtration of storm water.

Another major change outlined in the Master Plan is the closing of Pope Park Drive, which currently runs through the park and connects Laurel Street with Hillside Avenue. According to the Master Plan, a traffic study found that alternate routes could handle the increased traffic which would be caused by the closing of Pope Park Drive. Closing off the road would reconnect the east and west sides of the park as well as provide space for a new, 180-space parking lot.

The plan also seeks to bring back many of the park's former features and improve the facilities that have been added over the years, such as the baseball diamonds, soccer field, swimming pool and recreation center. For instance, the soccer field would be relocated to provide more space for spectators. Currently, the western side of the field slopes down sharply, hampering views of the action.

One original feature which would be brought back is the "High Mall" in the western section of the park. The plan calls for the recreation of the pathways and ornamental gardens at the High Mall which were called for in the original Olmsted plan. The Pope Fountain, which is now isolated and seldom visited, would be relocated and serve as the centerpiece of the High Mall. Down the hill from the High Mall would be an outdoor amphitheater with wall and lawn seating for up to 500 people.

According to the Master Plan, the total site cost for all these improvements would be close to $9 million. A variety of possible funding sources listed in the plan include federal, state and local agencies.