LOWELL — Kerouac Park on Bridge Street is a rare pocket of green space and shade in the Mill City. The park commemorates one of the city’s most famous: Jack Kerouac, the Beat author who wrote musically about growing up among the Merrimack River and the redbrick mills and smokestacks. Excerpts from his books and poems are memorialized on stone pillars at the commemorative at one end of the park.
But the park is rarely used by residents and visitors.
“Because it’s not next to a busy street, it has become a bit neglected and also attracted more homeless people,” says Tobias Marx, special events coordinator for the city. “I think the vision really is to create a vibrant place where residents who live around it, but also visitors, can come every day to enjoy themselves and just be active.”
On May 15, the city launched a $25,000 crowdfunding campaign through Patronicity to transform Kerouac Park into a downtown community and event space.
The campaign has raised $10,000. If the $25,000 goal is met by the June 30 deadline, MassDevelopment, the state’s economic development and finance agency, will contribute another $25,000.
“As soon as we have the funds, we’ll start doing what we can do within a couple weeks. We hope by folk fest, we will already have a bunch of things ready to go,” Marx says.
Last year, the Mill Yard at 110 Canal St., a former empty lot, became a destination downtown when “Friday Nights” food truck events were hosted there once a month. But it was only temporary because construction would begin there at the end of the season.
Marx looked to Kerouac Park as a city green space that he thought would be perfect for hosting events in partnership with community organizations. Local partners like DIY Lowell, the Cultural Organization of Lowell, and Lowell Celebrates Kerouac are on board and ill contribute money and host future events there.
If the project receives its funding, Marx looks forward to adding a small stage, game tables, public art projects, more outdoors seating, and play structures for kids and families. The Kerouac commemorative isn’t going anywhere: if anything, Marx hopes the improvement of the space will bring more recognition to the author.
“Seeing that life come back into it is something I’m really looking forward to. For me, when I’m driving by, imagining seeing people sitting in it every day, using it, thats something I’m really excited for,” Marx said.
