Rendering courtesy Agency Landscape + Planning
Lowell — New improvements are coming to Saint Louis Park and the nearby Merrimack Riverfront, and the City of Lowell is inviting residents to help shape what’s next.
The City will unveil design concepts for proposed improvements to Saint Louis Park, located in Lowell’s Centralville neighborhood near the Merrimack River, the VFW Highway, and the Ouellette (Aiken St) Bridge, at a free community cookout on Thursday, July 10 (rain date: July 11) from 5:00PM to 8:00PM at Saint Louis Park, 406 W. 6th St, behind Top Donut.
Home to well-loved baseball fields and basketball courts, Saint Louis Park and the nearby riverfront face environmental challenges such as extreme heat, poor air quality, and flooding. The design concepts propose strategies for mitigating these hazards while also improving riverfront experiences and investing in vibrant gathering spaces in this corner of Centralville.
“At a time when we’re facing more frequent climate-related challenges, investments like these help us build a healthier, more resilient future for our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Daniel P. Rourke. “I encourage residents to join us on July 10 and make their voices heard as we plan improvements that will benefit our families for years to come.”
Rendering courtesy Agency Landscape + Planning
At the cookout, residents can enjoy free catered barbecue, music provided by BCreativ, free swag, a scavenger hunt with prizes, and the opportunity to provide input directly to the park designers. The City wants to hear from residents about their lived experiences and their feedback on the ideas for park improvements, including: a new riverfront experience, a relaxing park space, an outdoor classroom, and improved entrances or gateways to the park.
The event will also include community outreach from the Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility (LRWWU), which will be on site to share information about the ongoing infrastructure improvements and environmental efforts, including details about the Centralville Sewer Separation Project.
Rendering courtesy Agency Landscape + Planning
“This is a great example of how we can combine infrastructure improvements with community-driven design,” said City Manager Thomas A. Golden, Jr. “Through partnerships and grant funding, we’re transforming underused spaces into assets for the community – and we want residents to help us make those decisions.”
This project is led by the City of Lowell’s Department of Planning and Development (DPD) with design support from Agency Landscape + Planning, a landscape architecture firm based in Cambridge, MA. Funding includes a $979,120 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, over $575,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding allocated for the future Riverview Park, and a $5 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant that is making cleanup of the adjacent site possible – paving the way for long-term investment in a healthier, more resilient waterfront.
Rendering courtesy Agency Landscape + Planning
The first phase of improvements to Saint Louis Park are already underway, including updates to the existing playground and basketball courts.
The focus of the community cookout is on the second phase of improvements, which will include expanding the park across VFW Highway all the way to the Merrimack River.
More information on the project can be found on the City’s website: https://www.lowellma.gov/2017/Saint-Louis-Sponge-Park-Riverview-Park
