LYNN — Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides, Mayor Thomas M. McGee and other state and local officials formally opened a new public park between Spencer Street and Cottage Street at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday afternoon.
“It is a great honor to be gathered here today to celebrate and honor the many stakeholders and advocates of this project who played a part in making this tremendous asset for our community a reality,” said McGee.
McGee noted that the Community Path of Lynn Coalition, founded by Lisa Wallace, has been a driving force behind this project for the last 10 years, regularly cleaning and activating the vacant train tracks of the former route of the Saugus Branch Railroad, which operated passenger service from 1853 to 1958.
“I’d like to thank all of them for their efforts, which not only brought a sense of ownership of this project from the residents in our community, but also a vision for an interactive open space with endless opportunities for many uses for now and the future,” said McGee.
The project was financed by the Executive Office of the Energy and Environmental Affairs, the city and the Solomon Foundation.
Once opened, the bike trail was embraced by the families with children, McGee said, and the city will continue to oversee the path and complete it to the ocean. It is a safe and alternative way to connect the cities, he said.
“This park is a terrific benefit to the larger Northern Strand Community Trail project that’s being completed through the Baker-Polito administration and the MassTrails initiative,” said Theoharides.
Construction of the trail from Everett to Lynn will be completely finished next spring, she said. The Commonwealth has invested $1.8 million into the design and construction of the trail. Theoharides underscored that the features of the park have been identified through significant involvement of the community.
Gov. Charlie Baker has put $1 billion towards outdoor environmental infrastructure, recreation and clean water, she said, and it was up to the legislature to move forward and complete their work on spending.
State Rep. Peter Capano (D-Lynn) said in a passionate speech that it took about 20 meetings to get people to believe that something like that could be accomplished, and State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) said that there was contention and shouting at times, but now his son wants to go play in the park all the time.
After the Bike to the Sea group presented McGee with a biking cap, many participants of the project lined up to cut a wide blue ribbon with big red symbolic scissors. More than 50 people attended the ceremony.
The Northern Strand Community Trail is a long-distance shared-use path that currently runs for 12 miles from route 16 in Everett through Malden, North Revere, Saugus and Lynn. The new park features seating options, a playground, climbing structures, a community garden with raised beds and a plaza at the intersection with Spencer Street, where food trucks can be parked for special events, said Imogene Hatch, senior associate with Brown Richardson + Rowe, a landscape-architectural firm that designed the trail.
“It is exciting to see the project open and to have folks use such a dynamic and fun outdoor space for the community,” Hatch said.
Brown Richardson + Rowe has been working on the Northern Strand for about three years. Engineering was done by Stantec, and R-Zoppo Corp. did the construction.
The Northern Strand Community Trail is currently being extended at one end to the Encore casino in Everett and later to Assembly Square via a bridge. On the Lynn side, it will be extended to the ocean and Nahant.
