Overview

• The renovated site on the Charles River Esplanade officially opened Aug. 19 with a ribbon-cutting attended by Rob Gronkowski, Governor Maura Healey, and Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
• Funded through the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation in partnership with the Esplanade Association and Massachusetts DCR, the playground replaces and renames the former Charlesbank Playground.
• Design highlights include a duck boat play structure, a football-shaped fitness circuit, a 40-yard dash feature, a scaled Zakim Bridge element, and accessible equipment such as a merry-go-round.
• CharityTeams founder Susan Hurley, who was honored at the site while battling stage-four cancer, publicly urged Kraft to arrange the one-day contract during the ceremony.
• Coverage described the project as a $2 million playground overall, while earlier reporting cited a $1.2 million foundation donation toward the renovation.