City Plans to Renovate Lincoln School Playground

While it appeared renovation work would not begin until 2014, a recent donation from a Melrose business has the Lincoln Elementary School playground project on track for this year.

George Scrivanos, franchisee of the Dunkin Donuts location at 348 Main St., and Dunkin' Donuts made a $25,000 donation to the Lincoln School playground project, according to Mayor Rob Dolan. During a recent press conference, Dolan said he will propose the city contribute an additional $10,000 toward the project.

"Mr. Scrivanos and Dunkin' Donuts stepped up to the plate as a major contributor to the skate park several years ago, and once again he has shown his generosity in making this project a reality," Dolan said in a press statement. The playground project is the final piece of a revitalization to that section of the city, as infrastructure improvements were made to Wyoming Square while a "major investment" was made to the Lincoln School baseball field that is used by the National Little League, Dolan explained.

"Over the past several months, Ward 5 Alderman Gail Infurna and a group of neighborhood parents have identified improving the playground at the corner of West Wyoming Avenue and Cottage Street as a neighborhood priority," Dolan said in the statement, adding that the Roosevelt Elementary School playground was the top priority as far as area playgrounds were concerned. 

The city will be partnering the Roosevelt PTO and the Amazing Grace Foundation to make improvements to the Roosevelt playground this summer, and the Lincoln School playground work was expected to begin in 2014, according to Dolan. However, the Dunkin' Donuts donation has pushed the timetable forward for the Lincoln School and work is likely to begin in 2013, he added.