Construction has begun on a public park at 167 Main St. in downtown Marlborough on a lot that has been vacant for nearly two years.

Landscapers are clearing away overgrown brush and leveling the area to create an open space that Marlborough residents can use, according to a statement.

The Main Street property has been empty since 2010, when a restaurant fire destroyed a building there.

Marlborough Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) is developing the new park through a public-private partnership with Marlborough Savings Bank.

"I am very pleased with what the MEDC and Marlborough Savings Bank have been able to achieve together," said Mayor Arthur Vigeant. "With the assistance of my partners on the City Council, we are taking an underperforming asset and turning it into an area that will beautify this corridor of the city."

A ribbon cutting to officially open the space for public use is tentatively scheduled for early June.