Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Mill River Park: Sowing the Vision for Stamford's Downtown


On a 28 acre parcel of vacant land adjacent to the lower end of the Rippowam River( aka the Mill River- because textile mills once dominated the site) , lies a horticulturists' and city planners' 'green dream' in the making.

It is called the Mill River Park and will cover land adjacent to a 2.9 mile stretch of the river before it enters the Sound.

The project is slated to cost $60 Million excluding acquisition costs.

The planning for site usage started over 80 years ago; In 1929 Herbert Swan formulated the first of many (master) plans. See: http://www.millriverpark.com/history.htm

The Project is called the Mill River Park and the current Chairman of the Mill River Collaborative, Arthur Selkowitz foresees a multi-use park that includes a winter ice skating rink, a carousel, jogging trails, amphitheater and fountain.

A children's playground was built in 2006 with the help of over 1500 dedicated volunteers!

To this list, we can include a horticultural zone consisting of Stamford's own version of botanical gardens, featuring an outdoor display of seasonal and perrenial flora and year- round arboretum. (One can visit West Hill High School's newly developed Agricultural Science building for ideas: See Page 85 of City of Stamford, Major Accomplishments 1998-2006. (opens large file .pdf)

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