Case Study: Kerouac Park
In a city with little park space, the park provided an incredible opportunity for investment that would make it a destination for residents and visitors.
Spots nearby were bustling many days of the year, especially during major festivals and events. However, Kerouac Park was often empty. In a city with little park space, the park provided an incredible opportunity for investment that would make it a destination for residents and visitors to relax, play, mingle, laugh, gather, and celebrate Lowell.
The improvements bring key new amenities like a customized stage, incubator space, concrete games such as table tennis, chess and checkers, and bag toss, new café tables and chairs, and more that make Kerouac Park a downtown destination. Through partnerships with area businesses and local organizations, the park has also been activated through community driven programming, encouraging visitors to frequent the space and continue to visit during scheduled activities and beyond, discovering a new, vibrant public space to enjoy in the heart of downtown.
“Sometimes we need change, turning something old into something new, giving it a new spark of life and some much needed energy. With the changes, Kerouac Park has that spark and is now a special place in Lowell for adults, kids, and families to enjoy.” - Antonio DeJesus DaSilva Jr., Owner, MillCity Clothing Co.
Project Details
- Project: Kerouac Park
- Project Type: Public Art, Events, Gardens and Greenspaces
- Project Location: Lowell, Massachusetts
- Crowdfunding Raise: $29,692
- Crowdgranting Match: $25,000
- Patrons: 133
- Total Project Estimate: $54,692
About Commonwealth Places
Commonwealth Places, a collaborative initiative from MassDevelopment and Patronicity, was a crowdgranting challenge program to activate new or distressed public places and community spaces. The program was open to municipalities and nonprofits to improve low- and moderate-income communities in Massachusetts.
