Demolition in Spring to Make Way for Major Waterfront Project

HAVERHILL, MA—Demolition at the site of what will be a major mixed-use development on the Merrimack River waterfront here has been scheduled for this spring.

The public-private project called Harbor Place is to include a mixed use of office, residential and retail space, a satellite campus for the University of Massachusetts–Lowell and a boardwalk.

The project is being developed by Merrimack Street Ventures, LLC, a partnership of the Greater Haverhill Foundation, and the Planning Office for Urban Affairs. The development will also have green spaces and a new public riverwalk.

Harbor Place will feature an elevated pedestrian plaza above the existing floodwall that has long blocked access to the river from the Haverhill downtown core. Existing buildings, including a Woolworth's store that has sat vacant for 40 years, will be replaced by two new structures. The plans call for a seven-story 81,000 square foot, glass-and-masonry building with first-floor retail, the satellite university space on the second and third floors and upper floor office space. A second, six-story, 80-unit residential building with ground floor retail and commercial space is also planned. Below the 25,000 square foot public plaza and boardwalk will be a new parking garage.

“This is a major opportunity to revitalize Haverhill, build community, and encourage investment all along the riverfront, a major asset for residents and visitors,” says Michael D. Binette, AIA, principal of The Architectural Team of Chelsea MA, which master planned and designed the Harbor Place development. “We're thrilled to be part of the team helping to revitalize this gateway city and bring new life and activity to the water's edge and downtown nearby.”

The first phase of the project is expected to cost $80 million to complete. Construction work on the seven-story satellite university campus building is expected to begin in the fall.