EEA Secretary Maeve Bartlett attended Monday's ceremonial opening of the new pavilion at the Common.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It was chilly day for dedicating an open pavilion, but the city and state officials gathered at the First Street Common on Monday afternoon could to see into the renovated park's warmer future this summer.
"We've already got people lined up asking to the use this facility for the summer and we hope the line gets longer because we've got a lot of daylight hours and even — because you can see we've got lights — evening hours," Dr. John Herman, chairman of the Parks Commission, said. "It will be a great time."
The new pavilion, designed by Barry Architects Inc. of Pittsfield, is wired for electricity and light. Performers should be able to plug in and play.
The facility will support a variety of entertainment, including plans for Shakespeare in the Park, which hosted performances at Springside Park this past summer, family movies and concerts. Mayor Daniel Bianchi said the city was keeping some of those acts "quiet for awhile" but plans for the summer are being developed.
The pavilion is the latest completed step in the multiphase $5 million renovation of the Common that includes pathways, gazebos, picnic areas, playground, lawns, the performance pavilion, restrooms and the signature spray ground.
"I can't wait to see to the little kiddos down in the spray park next year enjoying themselves," Bianchi said. "There are literally hundreds and hundreds of children that live in this area just around the corner."
Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Maeve Bartlett toured the park in August after being appointed to replace Rick Sullivan; on Monday, she reviewed some of the work that's been completed, including the spray ground, and helped cut a Christmas ribbon to indicate the majority completion of the pavilion.
Bartlett, along with Bianchi, state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, described the Common's revitalization as a team effort, one led by Gov. Deval Patrick's efforts and his special affection for the Berkshires.
"Gov. Patrick's investments in open space and recreational space has been truly monumental," Bartlett said. "We have invested over $360 million in parks and open space, we have created or renovated 210 parks and we've protected more than 125,000 acres of open space.
"Here in Pittsfield, we have invested more than $6 million in parks and open space ... it's really, really important to spend the money wisely."
The state committed more than $4 million to the project: $1.918 million from the Governor's Urban Parks program and $2.1 million in grants from the Gateway City Parks and Parkland Acquisition and Renovations for Communities grants. More than $700,000 came from the city.
Pittsfield's Parks Department knew exactly what do with that money, Barlett said.
Farley-Bouvier called the city's Parks and Open Space Manager James McGrath the "guru of planning" and noted the ideas for the park were solicited from a broad range of community members.
"This is the vision of the whole community coming together," she said. "These things take time and these things take dedication, but what we all believe, and what I still believe, is that everyone, everyone deserves to have green space around them. Good things happen when we work together."
Downing agreed, saying the too often the focus is only on the bad.
"We need to create these spaces where neighborhoods and neighbors can come together to support everything that is good about our communities," he said. "We have a lot to brag about. There's a lot that's right in the community."
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EEA Secretary Maeve Bartlett attended Monday's ceremonial opening of the new pavilion at the Common. 
