LYNN — Six years since the city first conceived the idea to build a 33-acre waterfront recreational space on a Lynnway landfill, there are now firm plans in place for the Harbor Park redevelopment project.
The city signed a memorandum of understanding with the Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (EDIC), property owner Charter Environmental, MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) to begin work on Harbor Park.
City Planner Aaron Clausen said that the memorandum signing signifies the first substantial step toward a long and intricate planning process that started with the 2017 Waterfront Open Space Master Plan.
“We are at the point that we can say, ‘This is going to happen,’” Clausen said. “We have gone from a planning process that started in 2017 to a design, funding, and partnership group that is able to carry out the first phase of the park project. This is a true public-private partnership that came together in vision and practice.”
The project’s first phase is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2025. At that point, Clausen said that the landfill will be transformed into a 22-acre public park featuring a network of recreational trails, seating areas, natural landscapes, views of the harbor and an accessory parking area at the end of Hanson Street.
Clausen said that Phase 1 will also include construction of an engineered landfill cap, additional soil and site grading to accept park elements such as landscaping, paths, and seating area. Phase 2 will include 11 acres of shoreline restoration and construction of additional parkland between the base of the landfill and the shore.
Building play areas on the lot’s flat surfaces, Clausen added, remains an option under consideration.
“There’s a flatter area on the edge of the north end of it that will accommodate a couple of different types of park elements — it could be a basketball court, futsal, or other kinds of active recreational uses. It could also be used for play structures for children. We’re looking for feedback from the community,” he said.
The budget for the project is estimated at $14.6 million, with Charter contributing $4 million, EOEEA bringing in $7.4 million and the City $3.2 million, Clausen said.
The park’s primary entrance will be from Hanson Street, with additional access from Harding Street and Marine Boulevard. Clausen said that the project intends not only to develop the city’s waterfront, but to help the city grow economically.
“Like Lynn Woods, it would be the entire city’s resource and another place for people to recreate and it really offers a significant opportunity to engage with the waterfront … It also serves as a driver for economic development and redevelopment of the waterfront. It does so in a way that I think keeps in mind the community, because the open space is accessible to the private sector,” Clausen said.
EDIC Executive Director James Cowdell said that the project fits with the city’s goal to expand waterfront development.
“The waterfront is a key area for redevelopment in the city,” Cowdell said.
A public meeting will be held virtually on Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. where the city and its partners will share an update on the project’s progress. The public will also have the opportunity to share ideas about the park’s future use.
“This is going to create development opportunities as well as provide valuable open space for all of the community to enjoy,” Nicholson said. “What we will have here on Lynn’s waterfront will be unlike anything else in all of greater Boston and we are excited to continue to engage the community as it advances.”
