City Plans to Start Construction on South Mill Pond Playground on September 22, 2025

The City plans to start work soon on the South Mill Pond Playground Project, included in the capital budget for FY25 and set to replace the existing South Mill playground with a new, universal design, ADA-compliant, age-friendly, inclusive playground. 

Due to a short delay to secure the needed wetlands permit from the NH Department of Environmental Services, this project is now scheduled to start on September 22, 2025 and will be complete by October 3, 2025. 

The goal is to convert South Mill Pond Playground into the most utilized, dynamic, barrier-free destination playground for Portsmouth and its visitors and the gold standard for Universally Accessible and Inclusive playgrounds.

The playground is part of the Recreation Department's South Mill Pond Recreation Complex that incorporates pickleball, basketball, and tennis courts, as well as Leary Field and the dog park. This area also hosts multiple City events such as the Independence Day Fireworks and the Easter Egg Hunt.

For updates visit the project page portsnh.co/southmill25.