Christopher Vacarro
“Art is the handmaid of human good” is the city of Lowell’s motto. Recent developments in Lowell’s Hamilton Canal District promise to deepen the meaning of that motto.
The Merrimack River’s flow powered Lowell’s textile mills during the early 19th century, when Lowell was a dominant manufacturing city. Entrepreneurs diverted the river into a system of canals harnessed with turbines to produce hydroelectric power for the mills. Lowell’s business community declined during the late 19th and 20th centuries, as outside competition discouraged mill owners from further investment. Factories closed and jobs vanished. However, as the 21st century unfolds, Lowell shows many signs of a rebirth.
The Hamilton Canal District near Lowell’s downtown is one such sign. The 13-acre Hamilton Canal District (HCD) sits between downtown Lowell and the city’s transportation center, where the Hamilton Canal and Merrimack Canal diverge from the Pawtucket Canal. City planners, local residents, business owners and Trinity Financial, the city’s selected developer, collaborated to produce the HCD’s master plan in 2008, taking advantage of the canal system. The master plan divides the HCD into 18 parcels, three of which are designated as open space. Development of the remaining parcels is governed by a form-based zoning and subdivision code adopted specifically for the HCD.
In general, form-based codes concentrate on building mass and spacing, and are less restrictive towards building uses. When adopting a form-based code, municipal leaders envision how the district should appear when fully developed. In some neighborhoods, wide, tree-lined boulevards may be desirable. In others, denser neighborhoods served by small shops and restaurants are preferred. Lowell held “vision sessions” for the HCD, where Trinity Financial and local stakeholders offered input on the master plan and the form-based code.
Upfront Investments In The District
The city and Trinity Financial have taken several positive steps in the HCD. The city completed construction of a new bridge across the Hamilton Canal, providing improved access into the district. The new bridge includes trolley tracks that might someday accommodate trolley service between Lowell’s train station and downtown. The city also installed new utilities and constructed a new road, Canal Street, within the area bounded by the Hamilton and Pawtucket Canals.
This infrastructure allowed Trinity Financial to complete projects on Parcels 6 and 7 (the former site of Appleton Mills) and Parcel 10 (the former Freudenberg Building). The developer preserved most of the façade of the historic Appleton Mills building, which offers 130 artist-preferred dwelling units. The renovated building includes exhibit areas in a sunny atrium beneath skylights. The Freudenberg building, redeveloped for commercial purposes, is expected to house a medical device research facility and innovative start-ups affiliated with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.
Although thoughtfully planned, the HDC’s potential is limited until three key projects are completed. The first involves Parcel 18, which is the future site of the Middlesex County trial court. The city’s existing courthouses are outdated and inconvenient. The new courthouse, now under design, is expected to be built within the next few years. When finished, the courthouse should attract office development to the adjacent Parcel 1 and restaurants and other businesses to nearby neighborhoods.
The second key project is a new bridge over the Pawtucket Canal connecting the successfully renovated Appleton Mills building to the northern portion of the HCD, providing improved traffic flow through the district.
The third involves the parking lots for the Lowell National Historic Park. Through efforts of U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, the National Park Service (which operates the park) and the city recently entered into a memorandum of understanding to allow the existing parking lots to be developed as two 70-foot buildings, with the Park Service acquiring rights to use a new multi-level parking garage to be constructed nearby.
Lowell has the momentum to complete all three projects during the ensuing years. After that happens, there will be a lot more to like about Lowell’s HCD than there already is.
Christopher R. Vaccaro is a partner at Looney & Grossman LLP in Boston. His email address is cvaccaro@lgllp.com
