TROY — The second phase of construction to convert a parking lot in the city’s Little Italy neighborhood into a new community park has begun.
The Little Italy Marketplace park project between Hill and Liberty streets in Troy will feature a bocce ball court, dog run, splash pad and community spaces. Construction of those amenities adds to milling and paving work on Liberty Street, construction of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalks, and a retaining wall already completed as part of the project.
Local officials celebrated the groundbreaking for the second phase of the $1.8 million project on Tuesday. It is being funded by a mix of federal, state and city money, according to city spokesperson Alex Horton.
Sam Chiappone, a co-facilitator of the community-led Little Italy Neighborhood Quality-of-Life Committee, said the idea for the project originated, in part, from neighborhood advocate Michael Esposito, who died in 2021. Esposito was an original member of the committee and a portion of Hill Street near where the park is being built was named after him in 2022…