Project Description
This transformative new mixed use development is designed to reinvigorate the streetscape, create active pedestrian corridors to the river from Merrimack Street, and offer a variety of uses that significantly enhance the local business district. Among the properties included in the development was the Woolworth Building, which had been vacant for more than 40 years, and three other nearby parcels. The site features two new midrise buildings: a five-story, 58,000 square foot commercial building with first floor tenants Haverhill Community TV studios; a UMass-Lowell satellite campus space on the second and third floors; headquarters for Pentucket Bank and additional office space on the upper floors; and a six-story 118,000 square foot mixed use building with ground floor riverfront restaurant space, commercial uses, and 80 residential units above. A significant design challenge was to innovatively repurpose an imposing concrete wall built after the flood of 1836, which blotted out views and restricted access to the Merrimack River. The solution was to situate the two new structures and the public promenade on a raised development platform abutting the flood wall, allowing direct pedestrian access to the river, while also providing underground parking. The interiors are designed to visually attract pedestrians into the enlivened and activated space, using contemporary elements, as well as reclaimed finishes to create stimulating focal areas. A combination of reclaimed wood, contemporary decorative pendants, stone and tile combine to create a vibrant and energetic space 24/7.