Cecil Community Park

2000 Cecil Avenue
Neighborhood: East Baltimore Midway

Park Amenities:

Adult exercise equipment
Early learning playground
Charging station
Open lawn

Outdoor seating and shade structure

Raised garden beds
Quarter mile walking track

Transforming a community schoolyard into a vibrant learning space

The development of Cecil Elementary has transformed the school and its surrounding green spaces through a $3.6 million multi-year investment combining public and private funding. Phase 1 saw the creation of an outdoor classroom with trees, vegetation, and raised beds to teach students about fresh produce and food security. In Phase 2, we completed a full renovation of the park and playground spaces, creating a vibrant community amenity for the school, Cecil-Kirk Recreation Center, and East Baltimore Midway residents.

Our role

Parks and People collaborated with the Central Baltimore Partnership to create a new park in East Baltimore Midway, featuring a playground, exercise equipment, and a playing field. This project focused on direct community engagement to ensure that the park met the needs of local families and neighbors around Cecil Elementary School.

Partners

Project Partners:

Baltimore City Public Schools
Cecil Elementary School
Central Baltimore Partnership
Greater Greenmount Coordinating Committee
Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks
Sparks at Play
Hord Coplan Macht
Plano Coudon
Mayor’s Office of Recovery Programs

Supporters

The development of this park was made possible through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Project CORE, which invested $153k into the initiative. This project serves as a model for leveraging public funds to create impactful green spaces in urban settings.

The Vision

Parks & People held community engagement listening sessions where residents shared their thoughts for transforming a disjointed play space into a vibrant and connected community space.

Before

Cecil Community Park Groundbreaking

Work started on Cecil Community park on January 11th 2023. Phase 1 saw the creation of an outdoor classroom with trees, vegetation, and raised beds to teach students about fresh produce and food security.