Historic Montgomery neighborhood celebrates new multipurpose fields  

Giving to the next generation for a historic Montgomery community 

The ribbon has been cut on the highly anticipated multipurpose fields at the Historic Cleveland Avenue YMCA, providing local families with more opportunities to engage in youth sports and recreational activities.   

Located in the heart of a historic neighborhood in Montgomery, the Cleveland Avenue YMCA was one of the few places where African American children could play when it opened in 1960. Today, many children in the community often have nowhere to go for after-school care, youth sports, or even a safe place to play near where they live.  

For many people, some of their fondest childhood memories include running around freely outside, romping through the grass or playing sports with friends. This should be an opportunity afforded to all children in the communities where they live.  

With that in mind, community leaders crafted the vision to develop multipurpose fields in the neighborhood with help from Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) and River Region Sports Fields. The vision included fields near the Cleveland Avenue Y where children can play freely, and organized sports can be hosted. The project became a reality thanks to the Greater Montgomery YMCA, Mayor Steven Reed, the Montgomery Council and the Montgomery County Commission. 

The YMCA of Greater Montgomery purchased the property, adjacent to the Historic Cleveland Avenue Y, in an effort to not only provide opportunities for those in the community to participate in youth sports and family activities, but also to develop and improve an existing blighted area. 

The fields on the corner of Wade Street and Rosa L. Parks Avenue can support sports and community activities such as soccer, football, t-ball, field days, youth programs, church partnerships and other events. The project features a multipurpose natural turf athletic field, shade structures and permanent parking. There are also plans to build a concession stand and restrooms, in the future. During the project, additional improvements were made to the sidewalk along the park’s perimeter for better accessibility.  

Through community members coming together, the vision came to fruition and this historic YMCA now has a space to be used for good, for youth sports and family activities. The fields can be a pinnacle part of the community and an important space for children and their development. 

GMC provided land surveying, landscape architecture, civil engineering, electrical engineering and environmental services for the project.