Photo courtesy City of Lowell

Lowell – The City of Lowell is excited to share that the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), in partnership with Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust (LPCT) and the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), was awarded a $929,120 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant to design phase 2 of the Saint Louis Sponge Park Project in the Centralville neighborhood.

The award was announced by Governor Maura Healey and Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tapper at the Leominster City Hall on Thursday, August 1, 2024.

The MVP Action Grant offers financial resources to communities that are seeking to advance priority climate adaptation actions to address climate change impacts resulting from extreme weather, sea level rise, inland and coastal flooding, severe heat, and other climate-related challenges.

Courtesy City of Lowell

Saint Louis is an under-utilized park tucked behind Top Donut in the Centralville neighborhood, cut off from the north bank of the Merrimack River by the VFW Highway.

A “sponge park” is a park designed with green infrastructure, like bioretention ponds, bioswales (sometimes called rain gardens), urban reforestation, and pollinator habitat. These “nature-based solutions” provide a number of important benefits:

• Reduces flooding in the neighborhood by restoring natural stormwater management
• Cools surface temperatures which reduces urban heat island effect and associated heat-related illnesses
• Provides habitat for native plants and animals, and restores ecosystems
• Helps clean the air, water, and soil, which makes the City a healthier place to live

The vision for phase 2 also includes multilingual educational signage, an outdoor classroom, and climate-themed public art. The MVP grant funds will go towards design, engineering, community engagement, analysis and integration of climate resilience data, temporary educational signage, and temporary public art to remain until replaced with permanent installations as part of phase 2 construction, which will be funded separately.

Graphic courtesy City of Lowell

Phase 1 of the project is currently in design and is scheduled for construction in 2025. Phase 1 includes upgrades to the existing basketball courts and playground, and the installation of a new splash pad. This is one of eight “open space impact projects” the City is implementing with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds throughout the City in 2025. Phase 1 will set the stage for phase 2 transformation.

DPD’s Project Management team strives to improve Lowell’s built environment through the planning and implementation of projects in alignment with the City’s Lowell Forward Master Plan. The Project Management team oversees projects involving parks, public spaces, trails, streetscapes, urban renewal areas, environmental remediation, and community engagement. The Project Management team worked closely with the Department of Public Works (DPW) Sustainability, Parks, and Wastewater Utility departments in preparing the MVP grant application. This project will involve close inter-departmental collaboration throughout the planning and design process.

DPD also worked with the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments (NMCOG), the regional planning agency for Greater Lowell, in preparing for the application. Jennifer Raitt, Executive Director of NMCOG, stated: “We are proud to contribute detailed climate projections, expertise in nature-based solutions, and technical assistance for the City of Lowell’s Saint Louis Sponge Park MVP-funded project. We are committed to supporting this crucial initiative. By leveraging accurate and localized data, we sure that such projects are designed to meet today’s needs and adapt to future environmental conditions. This approach fosters sustainable urban development and builds a resilient infrastructure for future generations.” This project also has the support of 350 Mass of Greater Lowell, the Merrimack River Watershed Council, and the Centralville Neighborhood Action Group.

The City is partnering with UML and LPCT on this project. UML will be a partner in collecting, compiling, interpreting, and visualizing climate projections and site data. UML is a public research university committed to innovation, sustainability, and community engagement. UML’s role for this grant involves integration with two new course offerings, Urban Design for Environmental Justice in the fall and Landscape Design for Climate Resilience in the spring. Students will synthesize and interpret data to provide recommendations to the design team at key milestones to ensure that the data is informing designs to maximize the project’s resiliency impact. Students will also be tasked with creating an ESRI story map to visualize the data and findings in an easily accessible format.

“The Saint Louis Sponge Park Project presents an exciting opportunity to engage our campus community in hands-on sustainability initiatives and to demonstrate the importance of proactive adaptation in building climate resilience,” said Ruairi O’Mahony, Executive Director of the Rist Institute for Sustainability & Energy at UML.

LPCT will enhance outreach to environmental justice communities – communities that are considered more vulnerable to the hazards associated with climate change due to socioeconomic disparities – as well as youth engagement and integration with school curriculum. LPCT and DPD have a longstanding history of successful collaboration through programs such as Greening the Gateway Cities. LPCT’s role for this grant involves door-to-door outreach, mailers, backpack mailers, posters, community storytelling in the form of a video project, and facilitation of a youth art project.

“We are excited about the potential impact of the Saint Louis Sponge Park Project,” said Jane Calvin, Executive Director of LPCT. “We believe that it will not only enhance our community’s resilience in the face of climate change but also strengthen social bonds and foster a greater sense of pride and ownership among residents.”

Phase 2 design and community engagement will take place between fall 2024 and summer 2026. The MVP grant will allow for an inclusive community engagement process offering a broad menu of both remote and in-person opportunities to participate in the design of Saint Louis Sponge Park. Engagement activities will be family-friendly, accessible, and multilingual. The planning team intends to hire 3-4 Environmental Justice Community Liaisons from the Greater Lowell area to help expand outreach and participation among communities more vulnerable to the risks of climate change and typically face higher barriers to participation in the planning and design process. A project website will be created where updates and events will be posted.

Any questions about the project can be directed via email to: openspace@lowellma.gov