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FRAMINGHAM – Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark has secured $3 million for the Chris Walsh Memorial Trail in the omnibus $1.7 trillion bill.
The bill has passed the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and now heads to President Joseph Biden for him to sign.
The funding would be used for the construction of the Chris Walsh Memorial Trail Phase 1.
There are three phases to the Chris Walsh Memorial Trail, said Mayor Charlie Sisitsky.
Congresswoman Clark came to Farm Pond earlier this year and we talked about the Walsh trail, said Mayor Sisitsky.
“She followed through on her promise,” said the Framingham Mayor.
“The residents of Framingham are forever grateful for the leadership of Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark,” said City Council Chair Phil Ottaviani on the $3 million for the Chris Walsh Memorial Trail. “The legacy of Rep. Chris Walsh continues to live on in our wonderful community.”
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State Representative Chris Walsh, before his untimely death in 2018, had worked for years to reunite the City of Framingham through this aqueduct trail.
As an architect, a champion of greenways, and a historian who knew well the historic significance of this pond that hosted national gatherings of abolitionists and suffragists, he recognized the power of this extraordinary resource to transform the image of the City and the quality of life for its diverse residents.
This $3 million project will focus on connecting the Farm Pond and Dudley Road recreational areas, consisting of 100+ acres of open space, to Downtown Framingham and its underserved population by utilizing the Sudbury Aqueduct that runs through Farm Pond and preserving the historic pump house seated on the Aqueduct.
The trail’s easternmost point will be at the edge of MBTA commuter rail lot, making this trail accessible to other state residents via public transportation.
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