Quartier des Spectacles in Montreal
While serving my first year on the City Council, I have come to question more frequently, “What are we doing to better position Lowell as a destination city?”
My recent exploratory trip to Montreal has sharpened my focus. One of the stark differences I notice is in regard to our mindset in Lowell. Our downtown business district is a hub of potential. Further, we have diamonds in the rough scattered across our neighborhoods. It’s easy to get the impression that previous models of economic development are becoming stale and in need of change in many areas. Why do we not seem to get out of our own way?
Over the last 10 to 15 years, the pulse of our city has shifted, drastically. There is a buzz of electricity made up of hope, excitement, and enthusiasm. We have many fresh and nontraditional ideas being discussed over craft cocktails and culinary treats. Lowell’s highlights mirror some of the top tourist destinations in the world. Our execution and physical delivery, not so much.
Solving this problem, by challenging the status quo, is not as complicated as it may appear.
Let’s look at our current situation with an “experience” based lens. Here, we should think of experience as an action. Something we personally encounter, undergo, or live through that has an impact. We must focus on the experiences of residents and visitors who seek to enjoy a day or evening in Lowell. Certainly, the Lowell Folk Festival is a full-blown experience. Every July for the past thirty-plus years, we roll out the red carpet and host the FolkFest. We begin weeks in advance, power washing sidewalks, manicuring green space, and improving signage to provide a memorable experience for all. I’m convinced that Lowell needs to approach all twelve months with the same attention to detail and energy. This experience-based thinking involves many components.
Ensuring our city is clean, safe, welcoming, clearly labeled, and provides whatever amenities are widely desired will become part of this big-picture approach. Our City’s routine, proactive maintenance practices will play an integral part in this re-branding initiative.
Please imagine this. You have plans to attend an amazing play at the Merrimack Repertory Theater. Your experience in Lowell begins at our city line where you notice the beautiful “Welcome to Lowell” sign and the well-maintained landscaping along the gateway. You easily navigate your way to convenient parking, due to plenty of clearly marked signs. As you walk down a well-lit Merrimack Street to grab dinner before the show, you appreciate that it has been converted into a pedestrian mall. You unexpectedly encounter a live act performing on the street. The vibe lifts your spirits.
This experience will linger and could potentially determine whether or not you become a repeat visitor. For our residents, your day-to-day experience should strengthen your roots in Lowell.
Operating from an experience-based mindset will build the stage to display all that our city has to offer. From Mill No. 5, Western Avenue Studios, CNCPT 6, The Brush, our sculptures, our murals, and our flourishing arts community to our many ethnic food options. We have farmers’ markets, food trucks, pop-up craft fairs, and great outdoor recreational activities such as rafting on the Concord as well as the State Forest. We have two outstanding higher-education institutions in our backyard. We provide magnificent sporting events with our Division 1 hockey and basketball programs. Every winter we provide some of the best amateur boxing matches in the entire region. I currently have a proposal on the table to create an outdoor, refrigerated ice-skating rink, as well as a centralized marketplace anchored around food with educational opportunities. From bodegas to bookstores, cafes to Cambodia Town, we have treasures to showcase.
If we intentionally continue this work with an experience-based mindset, our goals for economic growth and development will become a reality. If we commit to this change, the City can more effectively invest in creating these experiences through thoughtful and intentional planning. With the many projects currently in our short and long-term pipeline, we have a perfect opportunity to adopt this suggestion. This adoption will allow us to better manage these investments as well as draft effective marketing strategies while keeping our finger on the pulse of the city. Adjustments along the way will not become such a daunting task.
In the past we marketed our city with “There’s A Lot To Like About Lowell.” There is! It is not difficult to point out specific attractions to like, but my question is how do we begin to influence the overall experience?
It is the space between the events that forge this.
We need to be more intentional about inviting all our residents and visitors to fully “Experience Lowell”. This reinventing of our home is going to take the entire community. This approach will require participation from all members of our Public and Private sector. This opportunity, to re-establish ourselves, will be the ultimate test of working together to raise the bar.
13 responses to ““Experience Lowell” – An Editorial by Corey Robinson”
You seem to have forgotten the Arts League of Lowell, a community based arts center which has been here, with membership open to ALL for 20 years! Its a shame that we are overlooked. With a membership if 200 artists we are an important member of the team.
I am sorry if i left any organizations out. There are so many that do great work. It wasn’t intentional.
Meanwhile, while creating andmarketing Lowell as a College town, a “little Boston”, if you will, everyone completely neglected and dropped the ball oo the contract with LeLacheur Park , yes, the MLB short season was dismantled, butwe have a University that has scoffed upevery single building and available piece of land in town, and they don’t want the park – every politician who has passed on,who fought for that,are rolling in their graves;andthosewhoare still here who fought for itvand are watching it go unused and disintegrate into disrepair, so that by the time they do decide to utilize it, it will be beyond help!!! There are nany teams here that would love the honor to play there, in the former home of thr Lowell Spinners…
just saying…
Sale of the ballpark to the University closes next week. That’s the first step to upgrading the park and hopefully, return of minor league baseball
Maintain landscaping THROUGHOUT LOWELL.
Welcoming Parking = working meters
Homeless are disenfrancised citizens that require city-backed not private sector sevices
I agree Corey, so much to like about Lowell. The downtown you talk about is exactly what I loved so much about my city. We have some incredible restaurants and a couple of retail stores, how awesome would it be to be able to actually spend time and money downtown again. Thank you for all that you do and the forward thinking you bring to the City.
I had a conversation years ago with someone from one of the surrounding burbs about the “experience” of driving into downtown Lowell for an event. It’s not a good look, and it’s gotten worse.
Gorham down Central gives a pretty bad first impression to out of towners. First stop is a meet and greet at the Connector Wall from Lowell’s homeless. Then it potholes galore, Jerry’s Food Store, Central Street – that Saab Building, and then finally the Central Street bridge, which now sports mega potholes (probably structural). Only after hitting Market Street do things improve.
With the big fill, there’s hope – if you take the Connector down Thorndike. Sure, they’ll be lots of lights, but overall, there’s promise of an better “experience”.
I know there’s been some plans floated about a rotary at the end of the Connector. Maybe that would help? I’ve always had the idea that the two right lanes of the Connector should both dump onto Thorndike, with only the left lane reserved for Gorham street. I really don’t know what the answer is, I just know that the “experience” driving from Gorham down Central is the pits, and it needs help – more than anyplace else I can think of in the city.
Lastly how do we get the sign on the Connector to say “Downtown” instead of “Lowell Center” who the hell calls it that???
Rant over. Keep doing what you’re doing Corey!
My Brother I love what your mind sees as the future of Our Loved City. Keep Pushing Forward.
In regards to the usage of LeLacheur park year round. It would great to see the city try and become involved in the Future’s Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). It could solve for the field being unused in the summer time, become an attraction to bring folks to the city, and become an attraction for residents with families in the summer. I believe Councilor Gitschier has mentioned this in the past. Currently there are teams in
nashua and worcester that are the most local.
Corey, Please tell the VOTERS of Christian Hill definitively if you support the new zoning change ( ADU’s) that Councilor Drinkwater wholeheartedly supports(ADU’S) whereby EVERY single family home will be ALLOWED BY RIGHT to turn into a market rate TWO FAMILY( ADU) with minimal OFF STREET parking!!! Also tell us CHRISTIAN HILL VOTERS if you support work to make the Historic Reservoir safe via spending a few maintenance dollars on it or do you support the plan to FILL IN OR DRAIN this beautiful water resource to make a Squirty Park and/or Amphitheatre? I’m sure most “Hill” voters WILL NOT and do NOT support crowding their streets all summer with kids and minivans clogging their residential streets for a Squirty Park or Amphitheatre!
Please tell us what your position is before your re-election bid so we understand your vision for Lowell’s beautiful SINGLE FAMILY ZONED NEIGHBORHOODS, including BELVIDERE!!!
I love the energy. Being a downtown resident I am thinking that no other initiative is going to have an impact if we don’t take care of housekeeping. Trash removal and tending to pruning, mowing, and preserving the landscaping that already exists. First impressions are so important so when people see storm drains clogged with trash…broken and overflowing bins…makeshift trash bags hung from signage because there is no trash bin there anymore, new signage will just be salt in the wound.
Steve Masse I must ask, do you still live in Lowell? If you were invested in the neighborhood you’ve been screaming about from your soapbox you’d be involved in the conversations the neighborhood has been having. You are great at spreading misinformation and crying the sky is falling but you my friend fall short in the collaborative efforts arena. Keep yelling from the bread crate instead of participating in the conversation if that satisfies your desired outcome.