NEWBURYPORT — The city’s $6 million Market Landing Park construction and expansion project continues to move forward on schedule with work on establishing priority park spaces underway.
The Market Landing Park project kicked off in August and is expected to be completed by next summer. It converts a number of waterfront parking lots into additional green space flanking the east and west sides of the 4.6-acre site and will also feature new park wings and a shared-use path connecting two phases of the Clipper City Rail Trail.
“The park project that’s under construction right now is expanding the primary priority park space along the water’s edge,” Project Manager and Planning Director Andy Port said.
He said everything is proceeding as it should, at least time wise.
“Our plan is to be finished by the May to June timeframe of this coming season, and we’re on track with that right now,” Port said.
He explained that the primary aspect of the project is currently underway.
“What we’re doing is building the east and west wings of the park, basically the priority park space,” Port said.
He added that there are two additional walkways which will be put in at a later date.
“A bike path connection that goes across the central waterfront, connecting with the boardwalk, so there will no longer be a complete gap of a bike path through the downtown. We’re trying to connect the Clipper City rail trail, essentially east and west sides,” Port said.
Ward 5 City Councilor and Market Landing Ad Hoc member Jim McCauley shared his thoughts on how the project was progressing.
“On projects like this, they’re all always weather dependent. So I think we’re on schedule now. With some good weather, we should be on around our completion timeframes,” McCauley said.
Port spoke about some of the challenges facing the project.
“I think the main difficulty we have right now is actually trying to coordinate with National Grid where we’re hoping that they can provide transformers. They have to replace the transformers that are there today,” Port said.
He said he is hopeful that National Grid will provide the three transformers the project needs to allow the project to continue on its pace.
“That’s one thing that we’re focused on right now,” Port said.
He spoke about the potential future scope of the project with a potential third phase that has yet to be funded.
“The visitor center restroom facility would replace both the temporary chamber booth that’s been there as well as the restroom trailer that was removed this season,” Port said.
McCauley noted that the council will be debating future phases of the project in the coming year.
“This next council will be able to take up and debate about funding the next series of phases to this park going forward,” McCauley said.
Port shared why he was excited to see this project getting done.
“It helps to settle all those years and decades of debate about the central waterfront, allowing the community to focus on other areas,” Port said.
Daily News reporter Jim Sullivan contributed to this story.