Watertown’s newest park renovation received a statewide award at the Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association Conference in Springfield this week.
Recreation Director Ernie Thebado accepted the 2026 Agency of the Year: Design of Facility award for the Arsenal Park project, which reopened in the summer of 2025. The award is given to cities, towns, and state agencies which have created innovative park concepts and ideas. Thebado was joined by members of the Recreation and Community Development and Planning departments along with representatives from CDM Smith, the park’s design consultant, at the ceremony at the MassMutual Center on March 24.
Thebado said he believes Arsenal Park received recognition because has something for everyone, including a towering play structure.
“It has multiple things, like the community gardens, the state-of-the-art skateboard park, the tennis courts, the basketball courts, and then obviously the play structure from Kompan is just so impressive. It’s the highest structures in Massachusetts,” Thebado said. “And then having a better spray park there, too. So I think there is something for everyone to do — it’s a multi-use park.”
While the Recreation Department received the award, Thebado said the project was a team effort.
“It was a nice award, obviously, and we were just one part of the whole team that got credit for it, along with (Department of Public Works), CDM Smith, Quirk Construction, we did a great job with it,” Thebado said. “And Kompan was the playground company that put the playground in. So it was a good city, team effort.”
Thebado, who was promoted to Recreation Director in 2024, said the project started before he headed the department.
“I first came on after (former Director) Peter (Centola) left, and seeing how well everyone worked together I thought it was pretty amazing what a great job everyone did to put that together,” Thebado said.
He also pointed to recently retired Assistant City Manager for Community Development and Planning Steve Magoon, former Public Works Director Greg St. Louis, Conservation Commission Chair Leo Martin, and Conservation Agent Katie Swan for their contributions to the project.
“Everyone should get credit for it. It’s just not Recreation,” Thebado said. “We just got the award because someone saw the park and said, ‘Watertown should get recognized for that great park.'”
The Arsenal Park Project was completed in two phases, with the gateway to Arsenal Yards and a lawn area on the east side of the park constructed in the first phase.
The City of Watertown’s announcement said: “Today’s design features a blend of environmental stewardship and recreation opportunities for all ages and abilities. Nearly a decade in the making, the now award-winning park was shaped through collaboration among City departments and commissions, private property owners, and extensive public engagement, resulting in an inclusive and community-centered experience for all to enjoy.”
Arsenal Park was built on part of a former U.S. Army Arsenal, which site dated back to 1816.
“After over a century of military use, the site was cleared of contamination and ownership was transferred to the City of Watertown and placed under care and control of the Conversation Commission, leading to its eventual reopening to the public in 1979,” the City’s announcement said.
Learn more about the project and design by visiting watertown-ma.gov/200/Arsenal-Park-Master-Plan-Update.