Notice: Soil Stockpile Stabilization (November 13, 2025)
Crews are applying a clear surface-stabilizing product to the soil stockpiles at the Gold Star site. The piles will remain uncovered for approximately eight hours to allow the stabilizer to fully cure. The poly sheeting will be reinstalled over the piles once the curing process is complete.
The presentation from the Community Meeting held on Thursday, October 16, 2025 is now available to view under the 'documents' tab.
In-person Community Meeting Thursday, October 16, 2025
The City will be hosting an in-person Community Meeting on Thursday, October 16, 2025 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Millers River Apartments, 15 Lambert Street.
What: In-person Community Meeting
Where: Millers River Apartments, 15 Lambert Street, First Floor Community Room
When: 6-7:30 p.m.
As part of the Gold Star Mothers Park Court Renovation Project, the City conducted environmental testing of park soils. Initial results identified contamination beneath the
former basketball court. Follow-up testing has now confirmed that similar contaminants are present in multiple areas throughout the park.
The focus of this meeting will be to review the soil testing results and discuss anticipated next steps.
Representatives from the City and Cambridge Department of Public Health will be available to share information and answer questions.
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact: Kristen Kelleher at kkelleher@cambridgema.gov / 617-349-4825.
Notice: Second Round Soil Testing Results (September 11, 2025)
Please see linked testing results for contaminants found in the second round of soil testing.
Notice to the Community: Updates for Gold Star Mothers Memorial Park (September 10, 2025)
As part of the Gold Star Mothers Park Court Renovation Project, the City conducted environmental testing of park soils. Initial results identified contamination beneath the former basketball court. Follow-up testing has now confirmed that similar contaminants are present in multiple areas throughout the park. The contaminants identified were largely typical of historic uses of the site and / or urban fill used in construction and landscaping in urban areas.
Park Closure
As a safety precaution, the entire park including the playground, most asphalt paths, and all recreational areas will be closed until soil remediation can be completed.
Access
- The paved path adjacent to the Simoni Memorial Rink building will remain open to the public.
- All other areas of the park will be closed during this period.
- To explore alternative parks and playgrounds throughout the City visit the Parks and Playgrounds Interactive Map.
Next Steps
- Soil testing will continue in additional areas of the park to fully assess conditions.
- Test results will continue to be made publicly available.
- As new information becomes available, updates will be shared through the project website, on-site postings, community notifications, and the project email list.
- DPW will continue to maintain the park including lawn maintenance and cleanups.
- The City is working with environmental consultants and regulators to develop and implement a soil remediation plan. At this time, the specific timeframe for remediation and reopening is not yet known.
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact: Kristen Kelleher at kkelleher@cambridgema.gov / 617-349-4825.
Notice: Soil Testing Results (August 11, 2025)
Please see the linked test results for soil contaminants identified during the Gold Star Mothers Park Court Renovation Project. These contaminants were found in a limited area of the park, primarily beneath the surface of the recently demolished basketball court. While the results reflect conditions in that specific location, they do not necessarily represent soil conditions across the rest of the park.
Additional testing is underway in other areas of the park to further assess site conditions and ensure public health and safety. As new information becomes available, updates will be shared through the project website, on-site postings, community notifications, and the project email list.
Notice to the Community: Updates for Gold Star Mothers Memorial Park (August 5, 2025)
As part of the Gold Star Mothers Park Court Renovation Project, the City conducted routine environmental testing, which identified some soil contamination that will require revised construction plans. The contaminants identified were largely typical of historic uses of the site and / or urban fill used in construction and landscaping in urban areas.
As a safety precaution, the City will undertake further testing in the park. This will impact different areas of the park as follows:
- The timeline for the basketball court construction project will be extended to allow for appropriate remediation of the soil.
- The playing fields will be closed to allow for soil testing to assess conditions. Staff is coordinating directly with recreational permit holders.
- The playground will remain open. As part of an extensive renovation in 2005, this area sits atop a significant bed (18”) of clean fill. The area will be tested as part of the overall project but will otherwise remain open.
- The asphalt paths through the park will remain open.
- The Summer Food Program will continue to run Monday through Friday, breakfast meals will be served from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. and lunch meals will be served from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the playground area.
Updates will be provided through the project website, on-site at the park, community notifications and the project email list.
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact: Kristen Kelleher at kkelleher@cambridgema.gov / 617-349-4825
Expected Construction Activity for May:
May 2025, weather permitting:
Site deliveries including shade structure
Expected Construction Activity for April:
April 2025, weather permitting:
Site deliveries including furniture and lighting fixtures
Expected Construction Activity for March:
March 2025, weather permitting:
- Subsurface utility installation
- Soil borings (soil testing)
Tree Work Expected in Early February
The City's contractor, Cambridge Tree, under the direction of the City Arborist will be on site the week of February 3, 2025. They will provide tree care for maintaining tree health. This will include removing dead wood and pruning back limbs. This work will take place along the north side of the basketball court.
Expected Construction Activity for January and February
January 2025, weather permitting:
- Continued site demolition of existing basketball court
- Drainage piping excavation and installation
February 2025, weather permitting:
- Area drainage installation
- Electrical underground excavation and installation
January 15, 2025 - Construction Mobilization this Week
We are excited to announce that JAM Corporation, the construction general contractor for the Gold Star Mothers Park Courts renovation project, will begin mobilization for the court renovation project this week.
You can expect to see them setting up:
- Temporary construction fencing along the limit of work (this encompasses the court area, entrance way from Winter Street, and path immediately adjacent to the court area). The remainder of the park remains open for use.
- Erosion and sedimentation controls
- Tree protection
Temporary construction access will be established off the Winter Street entrance to the park.
Work is expected to be completed by Fall 2025.
For questions during the construction process, please contact Kristen Kelleher, Community Relations Manager at the Department of Public Works, at kkelleher@cambridgema.gov.
January 2025 Project Update
JAM Corporation has been awarded the construction contract for this renovation project. Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2025.
Meet the Artist!
We are excited for artist
Michael Talbot to create the court mural as part of the Gold Star Mothers Park court renovation project. Now that spring is here, Michael plans to be at the park to observe and connect with people. He hopes to learn about the neighborhood and would love to hear from you!
Weather permitting, Michael plans to be at the park:
- Monday, May 27th, 10am-12pm
- Saturday, June 8th, 12pm-2pm
- Saturday, June 22nd, 12pm-2pm
If you are around, enjoy a nice day in the park and drop in to say hello!
For more information, you can click here to view a project update sent to the project email list on May 22, 2024.
Spring Project Updates
Click here to view a project update that was sent to the project email list on April 24, 2024. The update covers:
- Artist Selected for Court Mural
- Design Updates and Project Schedule
- FYI: Site Work this Week
Meeting Materials and Recording for October 5 Virtual Meeting
Click here to view presentation slides from the October 5 meeting on refined design concepts.
Click here to view a recording of the presentation via Zoom.
Passcode: U72X4?=r
Virtual Community Meeting on Refined Concepts
The project team held a virtual community meeting to discuss refined concepts for the project and collect feedback.
The meeting was held on Zoom on:
Thursday, October 5, 2023
5:30PM to 7:00PM
Meeting Materials and Recording for July 25 Virtual Meeting
Click here to view presentation slides from the July 25 meeting on initial conceptual directions.
Click here to view a recording of the presentation via Zoom.
Passcode: 2=D&@dy9
We'd like to hear from you! Which of the concepts or ideas resonate most with you? Share your feedback with the project team by contacting Gary Chan at gchan@cambridgema.gov.
Virtual Community Meeting on Initial Concepts
The project team held a virtual community meeting to discuss the renovation of the paved court area at the Gold Star Mothers Park in East Cambridge. City staff and the design team from Weston & Sampson introduced the project, presented potential conceptual directions for the area, and collected feedback.
The meeting was held on Zoom on:
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
5:30PM to 7:00PM
Initial Questionnaire (now closed)
We asked you for ideas for additional uses and elements our design team should consider as we renovate the court space. This feedback was summarized into themes presented at the July 25 community meeting, and used to guide development of concepts.