PITTSFIELD -- For Tony Jackson, president of Westside Legends, a new splash pad at Durant Park reminds him of childhood memories of summertime fun.
"When we were kids, we used to have a garden hose and a sprinkler in our backyards," he said.
While the splash pad will be more advanced than what Jackson grew up with, the core experience is similar, he said.
"It's the same fun," he said. "It's just done a little differently."
It will be Pittsfield's third splash pad, joining existing ones at Clapp Park and The Common. Construction began Thursday.
Jim McGrath, the park, open space and natural resource program manager for Pittsfield, said the splash pad will open before June 30. An exact opening date hasn't been set.
"We're just excited to be able to enhance the availability of summer fun for kids down at Durant Park," McGrath said.
He expects construction to "really start in earnest" over the next few weeks, and a formal opening ceremony to take place in early July.
Outside of the immediate construction area, Durant Park and its playground will remain open to the public throughout construction.
Baskin Builders Inc., a construction company based in Hampden, was awarded a $194,904 contract to complete the project. The splash pad will cost roughly $275,000 overall, McGrath said, and will be funded by grants from the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and the city's Community Development Block grant.
The City Council voted on Dec. 9 to accept $215,980 from the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to fund the splash pad, as well as a new stormwater treatment system on Francis Avenue.
Planning for the splash pad began in 2023 after residents expressed interest in adding one to the neighborhood during a meeting held by the commission. West Side Legends, a community nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life in the neighborhood, has supported the project since its early stages.
"It's so great to see something that you've talked about go into action," said Jackson. "I think it'll be a center point for engagement, so now parents can let their kids come to the park and cool down during the summertime."
Upon completion, the splash pad is expected to span 700 square feet. After a sun and shade analysis, the city determined that no trees near the splash pad would need to be cut down.
The splash pad will also open in time to become part of the Summer Playground Program, an annual series of free, supervised programming for children held at municipal parks.
McGrath said the Durant Park splash pad will have open hours similar to the existing two splash pads. During the summer, the Clapp Park and The Common splash pads are typically open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week.