Aaron Mossell Park, the long-sought new use of the old Harrison Radiator parking lot between South Street and Elmwood Avenue, has reached the first stage of becoming reality.
The city committee to repurpose the lot into a neighborhood park convened for the first time last week at Harrison Studio. In attendance were Mayor John Lombardi III, community development director Heather Peck, several members of Lift Up Lockport who spearheaded the park proposal in 2018, and Harrison Studio co-owner Chuck Bell, a former city employee who wrote the grant application to develop the park.
The city received a state grant of $450,000 for the park back in 2017. Following remediation of the parking lot, development of the park was stalled during the Covid pandemic. In response to questions earlier this year about the fate of the park, Lombardi appointed a committee to revive its development.
After the committee’s first meeting, Lift Up Lockport member Jackie Davis said she’s hopeful the park will come to fruition.
“I left that meeting full of joy and positive energy,” she said.
According to Peck, park development is in the beginning phase. The city can still access the unspent grant, by signing a contract with the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The city’s consulting engineering firm, Nussbaumer & Clark, is working on that presently, she said.
The next step is to hire a consultant to draft a new plan showing how to best utilize the space and engage the public to make the best park for the neighborhood.
“Public engagement has always been a big part of the project,” Peck said.
In 2015, a needs assessment of the 16-block area around South and Genesee streets, titled the South Street Initiative, showed that the residents wanted a recreation space, such as a playground, and green space where they could bring their children.
The original Mossell Park plan included a walking path, a playground, a pavilion and benches. Peck said a splash pad was mentioned during the committee meeting last week.
Adding features could create “funding gaps,” she added, “so we’ll be trying to secure more funding as well.”
The is no timeline for the completion of Mossell Park yet.
“We’re just getting started,” Davis said, adding that everyone who attended the committee meeting was “outstanding.”