Site Details

The 15-acre Hamilton Canal District centers around the confluence of four canals (the Hamilton, Western, Merrimack and Pawtucket Canals).  These canals can serve as key features of any new development, providing the opportunity for waterfront pedestrian paths and spectacular view corridors.  The confluence of the Pawtucket and Merrimack Canals is marked by a stunning waterfall, which will form a magnificent backdrop for retail and residential development nearby.

The site has excellent visibility and access from Thorndike Street and Dutton Street, the main gateway into Downtown Lowell and to the Tsongas Arena and LeLacheur Park as well as from Middlesex Street, the City’s primary east-west route.   The Hamilton Canal District also connects the brick mills, cobblestone streets, and National Historical Park of Downtown Lowell to Lowell’s commuter rail station.

The Hamilton Canal District

List of Parcels The Hamilton Canal District includes the following parcels in Lowell, Massachusetts: 169 Jackson Street 171 Jackson Street 221 Jackson Street 221.1 Jackson Street 221.4 Jackson Street 221.5 Jackson Street 291.1 Jackson Street 307 Jackson Street 324 Jackson Street 351 Jackson Street 360 Jackson Street 6 King Street 295 Middlesex Street 295.1 Middlesex Street 317 Middlesex Street 317.1 Middlesex Street 317.2 Middlesex Street 323 Middlesex Street 379 Middlesex Street 389 Middlesex Street For more information about these parcels, please visit the City of Lowell’s online GIS website: http://gis.lowellma.gov/

Approximately 3.8 acres of the Hamilton Canal District are located north of the Pawtucket Canal.  This site is now vacant land and environmental remediation will be completed by the City of Lowell this summer.  This site is contiguous to the successfully restored Canal Place condominiums and the Market Mills, home to the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center.  This area is a short walk from the many cultural, dining, and retail amenities of Downtown Lowell along Market, Merrimack and Middle Streets

The district includes approximately 6.5 acres of land between the Pawtucket and Hamilton Canals.  This area is surrounded by water and historic mill buildings, including the spectacular swamp locks area, with a cascading waterfall on the Lower Pawtucket Canal and the confluence of the Pawtucket, Hamilton, and Merrimack Canals.  These features, and this area’s relative privacy and protection from major roadways provide an excellent setting for an urban oasis in the heart of the city.  The redevelopment of two extant historic structures, portions of the buildings 1, 1A, & 4 of the Appleton Mills (307 Jackson Street) and 291.1 Jackson Street, must be coordinated with the Lowell Historic Board.

The portion of the district located south of the Hamilton Canal includes approximately 4.2 acres of parcels and up to 1.2 acres of City rights-of-way that can be realigned and/or abandoned.  With excellent visibility and access from the main entry routes into the City and opportunities for phenomenal views along four canals, this site is an opportunity to develop a signature architectural gesture that will serve as a beacon for arriving visitors and a symbol of the development.  This gateway structure will be a defining feature of the project.   Some of all of the existing buildings in this area may be demolished if desired.

Regional Context

Lowell is centrally located at the intersection of two major limited-access highways, Interstate 495 and Route 3, with convenient access to all of New England’s amenities and resources.  These include the educational, cultural, and medical resources of Boston and Cambridge, the coastal communities of Cape Cod, New Hampshire, and Maine, hiking and skiing in the White Mountains and Green Mountains, and the historic small towns in Vermont and Western Massachusetts.  In addition to easy ground and commuter rail transit, International airports at Boston and Manchester, NH are both less than 45 minutes away providing easy connections to worldwide destinations.