UPDATED: Stowe Street Alley beautification project breaks ground
April 14, 2024 | By Sandy Yusen | Correspondent Updated April 19 with a groundbreaking photo.
Members of the Stowe Street Alley project planning group break ground on April 15. Left to right: Revitalizing Waterbury Executive Director Karen Nevin, RW board member Irene Steiner, artist Sarah-Lee Terrat, Tom Nesbitt of the Waterbury Mason Building Association, RW President Julie Frailey, Dan McKibben from Waterbury Rotary, RW volunteers Jane and Kim Brown, Stowe Street Emporium owner Kathy Murphy and former Stowe Street Emporium co-owner Ted Schultheis, RW volunteers Laura Parette and Caroline Castaldo, Rotarian and state Rep. Theresa Wood, alley project supporters Bob Parette and Chuck Kletecka, and site Supervisor Albert Demag of Ambler Designs. Photo by Gordon Miller
In April 2023, trees are removed from the alley in preparation for the renovation project. Photo by Gordon Miller
The makeover for a prime spot in downtown Waterbury kicked off on Monday with a 2 p.m. groundbreaking along Stowe Street.
The ceremony begins construction on the first phase of work to beautify the alley beside Stowe Street Emporium and between 21 and 23 Stowe Street. In attendance were property owners, community members, and representatives of the organizations working on the project.
The milestone takes place after more than three years of planning by a committee led by Revitalizing Waterbury along with the Waterbury Rotary Club, MakerSphere, Waterbury Arts, the participating property owners, downtown business owners and members of the community.
While the effort to move ahead with the alley rehab has been in progress recently, the concept was championed by longtime community member Jack Carter who died unexpectedly in 2021. Carter was a Waterbury resident active with multiple organizations including Revitalizing Waterbury and the Waterbury Historical Society. He was a justice of the peace and served on multiple town boards including the Waterbury Select Board. The original owner of the Stowe Street Emporium retail store, Carter in his role as a merchant was affectionately known as “The Mayor of Stowe Street.”
He was passionate about transforming the Stowe Street Alley into a usable space and had advocated for such a project for over 20 years. Carter was on the planning committee for the alley project until his death in June 2021 which not surprisingly prompted a spontaneous community celebration in the alley.
Now ready to move forward, the alley refurbishment project calls for tearing up the old cracked asphalt on the ground, installing new brick and concrete surfacing along with landscaping to make the space an inviting pedestrian walkway and “a welcoming public space for art, gardens and music,” according to project organizers.
In announcing Monday’s groundbreaking, Revitalizing Waterbury noted that it “marks a significant step towards transforming this space into a vibrant and welcoming downtown destination.”
Artist’s drawing of the Stowe Street alley from above (Stowe Street entry on the right). The orange paths represent the engraved bricks with other concrete pavers as part of the new surface as well. Image courtesy of Revitalizing Waterbury
Monday’s event begins the first of three phases of construction on the alley. In an email to project donors, Revitalizing Waterbury’s Executive Director Karen Nevin shared details: “We’ll start by clearing out the old pavement, followed by installing infrastructure like a drainage pipe and electrical conduits,” she wrote. “Once that is complete, next is the exciting part – laying the new pavers.”
Along with the pavers, bricks will be placed that have been engraved with personalized messages from community members through a fundraising effort in 2022. “These bricks will be set in a winding path through the alley, as well as positioned in the alley’s center.” In-ground landscaping will also be added.
A grand opening event and celebratory “Brick Walk” is planned for later this spring after the first construction phase is completed, Nevin notes. The second phase scheduled for this summer includes installation of utility screenings, stair covers, and streetscape amenities such as benches, planters, and trash receptacles. The current timeline estimates that work will be completed by October.
Final piece: A work in progress
As the first phase of construction moves forward, details are still being nailed down on what will be the third and final phase which includes lighting and the installation of a large steel sculpture at the Stowe Street entrance to the alley.
According to its zoning permit application, the vision is for an artistic installation “with interactive components that is vibrant, and reflects natural elements of the alley, and neighborhood.”
The alley project as a whole received approval from the Development Review Board in 2022 with the condition from the board that the project committee return with final designs for lighting and sculpture installation. Presented last fall, the initial design raised concerns from review board members and Fire Chief Gary Dillon about ensuring adequate space for emergency access to the alley.
A revised design is now under review. Designed by FlyWheel Industrial Arts, an architectural design and fabrication company in Montpelier, the new structure consists of an 18-foot-tall arc of steel that extends out of the entrance to the alley over the sidewalk. The curved structure frames a colored half dome with a four-foot-diameter mirror at its base, hanging 12 feet above the sidewalk.
The dome and mirror are designed to swing back and forth around a center pivot, reflecting the views along Stowe Street. At the base of the sculpture, a steering wheel allows those passing by to maneuver the angle of the mirrored dome.
A Development Review Board meeting on April 3 included a public hearing with discussion of the alley project and sculpture. Nevin described the intent of the entrance sculpture: “The idea of the piece of public art is to draw people in from down the street, catch people’s eye, and create visual interest,” she said, so that pedestrians “pass different types of businesses on our street, learn more about our town and spend more time.”
Board members asked a number of questions. The group discussed concerns about the reflective properties of the dome and mirror, and whether the reflection of the sun at certain times of the day could create issues for drivers, pedestrians and others nearby. The group also asked about the ultimate ownership of the sculpture and who will be responsible for maintenance and upkeep after it’s installed.
Nevin replied that a maintenance plan is being developed, which is a “process where we will all be participating as a community project.” Similar to other art installations in town, she said, “The entire community is responsible for its care.”
In a closed session after the public hearing, the review board decided to continue Revitalizing Waterbury’s application for the alley sculpture, with a request for more information to address the various points raised in the meeting, according to Zoning Administrator Mike Bishop.
Supporters contributed $100 for each engraved brick that will be part of the alley’s new surface. Courtesy photo
Nevin said that the ongoing process regarding the sculpture approval would not deter the groundbreaking plans for the first phase of the alley construction. “I and the others are confident we can address all of their questions,” she said.
The delay in approving the sculpture design, however, could create complexities as the footings for the installation need to be placed beneath the pavers that are being installed this spring.
Original cost estimates for the project total $175,000. So far, funds have been raised from a variety of sources, including donations from local organizations, a Vermont Arts Council grant, memorial gifts given in memory of Jack Carter, a fundraising campaign that sold the engraved bricks for $100 each, and a $20,000 contribution from the town’s federal American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 recovery funding.
Final fundraising effort under way
The Better Places fundraising page includes a preview of a mural by Waterbury artist Sarah-Lee Terrat, a longtime friend to Jack Carter. It portrays a shopkeeper in Carter’s likeness inside a classic general store as if viewed through a window.
In conjunction with Monday’s alley groundbreaking, the Stowe Street Alley committee has launched a new fundraising initiative. It is seeking a state of Vermont Better Places fundraising grant with a goal of raising an additional $60,000 for project elements such as seating, lighting and garden materials. The state program supports community projects in village centers, designated downtowns and town centers by matching each dollar contributed by the community with two dollars from the state, thereby tripling the impact of each donation. The Madonna’s Earth mural on the back side of the building at 29 Stowe Street benefitted from the Better Places program. It raised $10,000 and received a $20,000 match.
The alley campaign runs through June 14 and aims to raise $20,000 from donors in order to receive a $40,000 match. Learn more about the program here and find the Stowe Street Alley’s campaign page here.
Waterbury Roundabout reporter Lisa Scagliotti contributed to this report.