Shuttered For Years, In Need Of Significant Repair, After Rehab, Edgewood Park Ranger Station Reopens

NEW HAVEN, CT — Coinciding with Earth Week, and after being shuttered for years, the Edgewood Park Ranger Station was officially reopened Thursday

The building was a hub for city parks and recreation, summer camp, and other programming, but those activities ended several years ago at the site, and the building was shuttered.

It fell into disrepair and was in need of "significant maintenance and upgrades," according to Mayor Justin Elicker.

Its reopening was celebrated with city and park officials. The building now includes improvements and expanded community programs.

Through a $170,000 investment of city and ARPA funds, the facility has now been updated and will again be reactivated for the community, including for the Parks Department’s Wilderness Wednesdays and other nature programs; New Haven Public Schools’ field trips; the Friends of Edgewood Park’s meeting space; and Nature Pals—a toddler and caregiver program, among other community uses.

A renowned urban park, Edgewood Park spans 120 acres across the Edgewood and Westville neighborhoods, offering a variety of recreational amenities, activities, and sports facilities.

The upgrades to the ranger station—one of four ranger stations in the city—build on over $700,000 of other recent improvements to Edgewood Park, including an updated Coogan Pavilion, an expanded skatepark, and an installed MidBridge water crossing.

An additional $500,000 of planned improvements include developing a nature play space and outdoor classroom space near the ranger station; repairing the Sundial splash pad; installing bioswales, a rain garden and other green infrastructure improvements near the tennis courts and skate park to help reduce flooding; and improving lighting and biking and pedestrian access to support the city’s Greenways 2030 initiative.

Watch the press event for official reopening here: