By Michael Lafleur, mlafleur@lowellsun.com
LOWELL -- City officials and executives with Trinity Financial, the Boston-based development firm that will carry out the city's ambitious plans for the Hamilton Canal District, reportedly are near to a deal.
The two sides have been in negotiations since city councilors confirmed Trinity Financial's selection as the master developer for the Hamilton Canal District in the fall. Their final disposition agreement will spell out terms for how the nearly 15-acre district is to be developed, specify how much the land will cost Trinity and determine each party's responsibilities.
"We're very, very close on finalizing this thing," said City Manager Bernie Lynch.
Abby Goldenfarb, Trinity Financial's project manager for the Hamilton Canal District, said she expects the framework of a deal to be in place by the next community meeting on the project, scheduled for March 15.
She said the firm's primary focus lately has been on preparing its submission to various state agencies as part of the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) review process, which is required for large projects of this sort.
"We should have a term sheet agreement very shortly, and that would be something we would bring to the City Council for their review as well," said Assistant City Manager Adam Baacke, director of the city Division of Planning and Development.
City and Trinity officials plan to transform the Hamilton Canal District from its current state -- in which it consists largely of blighted buildings and vacant lots on the fringe of downtown -- into a massive new residential and commercial district. City officials have acquired all the land in the district through negotiated purchase or eminent domain.
Lynch said hopes Trinity will be able to unveil its "conceptual plan" for the district for the community meeting on Saturday, March 15, which will be held at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There have been two previous meetings, which Trinity calls "vision sessions," on Dec. 5 and Jan. 5.
Trinity officials also plan to hold community meetings in May and July, but firm dates have yet to be scheduled for either event.
Goldenfarb said the conceptual plan that will be released during the March 15 meeting -- which is being prepared as part of Trinity's MEPA submission -- will outline specific uses for the various parts of the district and go into detail about such things as building heights and density, though it will not necessarily include architectural designs.
City and Trinity officials' overall goal is to develop a master plan for the site by September, which will involve adding a whole new section to Lowell's zoning code, specifically prescribing the district's appearance.
One thing that is certain, Goldenfarb said, is that Trinity officials will prioritize the renovation of the decrepit Appleton Mills complex on Jackson Street, which is missing whole walls and is open to the elements in many places.
She said the longer the complex buildings are allowed to be exposed to the elements, the more difficult they will be to renovate and noted that the complex's renovation will be a necessary first redevelopment step.
"Clearly, it's at the gateway of Lowell, and it just kind of casts a negative pall over the site," she said.
This story appeared in the Lowell Sun on Sunday, February 17, 2008