Fresh off last year’s construction of a new playground at the Town Hall Annex, members of the recreation department hope to renovate Bicentennial Park, a much-loved playground at 192 Gifford Road that has seen better days.

If all goes as planned and they receive funding at Town Meeting in May, volunteers and recreation director Dana Stewart said they hope to have the first of three phases in an ambitious improvement plan completed by the summer or fall.

“We do have the funds to get started this year,” Stewart told the select board last Monday. “This park I think, just needs it, really bad. It’s time for a facelift.”

The park is in poor condition, with crumbling basketball court surfaces, rusty playground equipment and little access for those who are wheel-chair bound or have other physical limitations.

Department officials have some funds left over from the annex playground program, and will also seek approval for $250,000 in Community Preservation Committee funds at Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 6.

The project is being broken into three phases:

• Phase I would include the replacement of the playground structure, and Stewart said work could begin any time after Town Meeting provided that residents vote to approve Warrant Article 13;

• Phase II would also be contingent on the May Town Meeting, and work would include the demolition of the old skate park, and the prepping of land for a new skate park or other recreation feature that would be completed in Phase III.

“We could do a brand new skate park,” Stewart said. “We could do tennis courts,” and she said the commiunity is being polled to see what plan is most popular.

Other work under Phase II would include new fencing, signs, wheelchair-accessible parking, basketball court improvements, and possibly a covered pavilion.

•Phase III is contintent on the Community Preservation Committee setting aside $250,000 to $500,000, which Stewart said would hopefully be on next year’s Town Meeting for a vote.

Exactly what would be built is dependent on surveys, but Stewart said amenities could include a new skate park, tennis courts, bocce courts, or other features.

If that funding is approved next Spring, Stewart said work could commence any time after the 2026 Town Meeting.