Project Summary

The City of Manchester is implementing a multi-phase renovation of the existing Sheehan-Basquil Park located at Maple and Auburn Street in Manchester. The existing 9-acre parcel consisted of a skate park, youth recreation center, pool, and four baseball fields. Phase I of this vision was under construction when the City requested the design team’s assistance to advance Phase II. The Hoyle Tanner team led the public outreach campaign to understand the community’s vision for Sheehan-Basquil Park which included creation and facilitation of a multi-lingual public survey, creation of a 3,300 piece direct mailer to project abutters, and coordination of social media posts associated with neighborhood meetings. 

Outreach efforts also included facilitation of meetings with stakeholders and the neighborhood to gain a widespread understanding of community needs to meet the project goal of serving a broader demographic. Due to the initiation of the pandemic, modifications were made to the final public presentation which needed to be recorded and distributed via the internet to the community to share the final design of Phase II.  

The team used this valuable data to generate conceptual designs for further public input with consideration given to master planning future phases and understanding the connectivity and resources available in adjacent parks. Hoyle Tanner completed final design, bidding administration and construction services for the chosen Phase II alternative which included a splash pad, playground, site lighting, drainage improvements, amenities, and safety upgrades while allowing for future improvements to be made per the master plan.  The new splash pad and playground became a neighborhood destination. This project had Land and Water Conservation Funding (LWCF).