More improvements are coming to West Hartford’s historic Elizabeth Park, with work to start Thursday on a new park visitor center.
Former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is expected to join town officials and members of The Elizabeth Park Conservancy at 2 p.m. for a work-start ceremony at the park located in West Hartford, at 1561 Asylum Ave.
The nonprofit conservancy says it has budgeted $850,000 to remodel and repurpose the 81-year-old brownstone building, located off the main parking lot and adjacent to the greenhouses, to a visitor center, complete with visitor amenities and improved public restrooms.
The conservancy also received a $500,000 state grant to aid with the renovations. All improvements to the brownstone building, first built in 1938, will be within the existing footprint of the building and will not include expansion of the historic structure. Work is set for completion by summer 2020.
Farmington’s Schadler Selnau Associates is project architect. Hartford’s Alca Construction Co. is the contractor.
In February, New Britain landscape architect TO Design LLC submitted plans on the city’s behalf for a proposed permanent performance stage on the park’s grounds. Construction was projected to start after this summer’s concert series.
Elizabeth Park opened in the spring of 1897 on property Charles Pond donated to honor his wife, Elizabeth.
The park, home to the nation’s largest rose garden, is on the national register of historic places and offers more than 100 acres of formal gardens, green space, recreational facilities, walking loops and the Pond House Café.
The park is open to the public year-round, from dawn to dusk.
