Photo courtesy City of Lowell

Lowell — The City of Lowell Department of Planning & Development (DPD) today announced it has received a $2.5 million climate resilience grant to construct the second phase of improvements at Saint Louis Sponge Park in Lowell’s Centralville neighborhood.

Saint Louis Sponge Park is located at 406 West 6th St within an urban heat island and an area prone to flooding during heavy rain events. Phase 2 converts an under-utilized baseball field into a one-of-a-kind outdoor climate classroom featuring an artist-designed sun/rain shelter, multilingual educational signage, social gathering spaces, event space, seating, lighting, rain gardens, tree planting, and native perennials.

A “sponge park” is a park designed to collect and store stormwater to help protect the surrounding neighborhood from floods and lower surrounding temperatures. These nature-based solutions help safeguard community health as well as the health of local ecosystems.

Awarded by the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program through the new Environment & Climate One Stop (ECO One Stop), which is administered by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), these competitive grants support communities in identifying climate hazards, developing strategies to improve resilience, and implementing priority actions to adapt to climate change. Saint Louis Sponge Park is one of 38 projects to have received action grant funding in the latest round of applications.

Phase 2 continues momentum on this ambitious project. Phase 1 (designed by Weston & Sampson and built by JAM Corp) was recently opened to the public and includes a new universally accessible playground, splash pad, and basketball courts treated with a high-albedo (heat-reflective) sealcoat.

Phase 1 completion will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony on Thursday, September 3, at 4:30PM. This event is free and open to the public.

Phase 1 will also be expanded this fall with additional play equipment geared toward 2-5 year olds. The Phase 2 outdoor climate classroom is expected to break ground in Spring 2027 and will take approximately 1 year to construct. Future phases of Saint Louis Park improvements include planned upgrades to the Harry Allen baseball field, the addition of public restrooms and concessions, and upgraded parking areas. Across the VFW Highway from Saint Louis Park, 7 acres of city-owned riverfront land are undergoing brownfield remediation for future park expansion including a nature playground, amphitheater, and municipal tree nursery.

The multi-phase Saint Louis Sponge Park master plan was co-designed with thousands of Lowell Residents through a robust multilingual engagement process in 2025 and 2026 led by Agency Landscape + Planning as the lead design consultant and 5 local community liaisons – Adriana Giraldo, Alessandra Lopes, Carla Carabello, Levi Dennis, and Jasmine Seng.

DPD also partnered with UMass Lowell and Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust. UMass Lowell Assistant Professor Dr. Joy Winbourne worked with students to collect site data using sensors and drone technology and interpret data and climate projections through an interactive StoryMap (also available in Spanish, Portuguese, and Khmer).

Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust (LPCT) engaged students from their youth programs in the project and worked with artist Kit Collins to create a youth-led art banner that tells the story of Lowell’s history of ecological transformation through time and now welcomes park visitors at the entrance to the new playground off West 6th Street. LPCT also worked with videographer Tory Wesnofske to create a short documentary about the project, highlighting community voices from the neighborhood.

“Saint Louis Sponge Park is a major investment in Centralville and in Lowell’s future,” said Lowell Mayor Erik R. Gitschier. “This $2.5 million grant will help create a more accessible, vibrant, and climate-resilient space for residents of all ages. This project reflects the ideas and priorities of thousands of Lowell residents. I thank the Healey-Driscoll Administration, our City departments, community partners, and residents for helping make this vision a reality.”

“This project demonstrates what’s possible when neighbors collaborate to envision a more resilient future, one that benefits both community health and ecological health,” said Lowell City Manager, Thomas A. Golden, Jr. “Thanks to the leadership of the Department of Planning & Development and the generous support of the Commonwealth’s MVP Action Grant Program, the transformation of Saint Louis Park will serve the needs of all ages and abilities for many generations to come.”

Learn more at www.saintlouisspongepark.com