The city has opened first bids on Worcester's first dog park, which will be constructed at Vernon Hill Park.
The bid officially opened last week and will remain open until May 3. The city estimated the cost of the dog park to be about $173,000.
The scope of work will include earthwork and grading, paving, concrete work and site amenities. An aerial view of the site shows an L-shaped area in Vernon Hill Park.
Official dimensions for the park have not been announced, but the dog park master plan estimates the site to be about 17,400 square feet.
City manager Edward Augustus Jr. announced the implementation of citywide dog parks last summer. It's been a long road to the dog parks implementation, with dozens of plans discussed and modified.
It was not too long ago that the city banned dogs from roaming any city green spaces. Augustus overturned a rule in September that allowed canines back into city parks, provided they are on a leash.
Worcester's stringent dog laws came down in 1997, when residents complained that dog owners were allowing their aggressive dogs to run around off the leash, and that they were not cleaning up after them.
The city pushed the agenda even further, announcing the construction of a dozen new dog parks by the end of 2020. In November, more than $300,000 in funding was approved by city council to start construction on dog parks.