During the summer/fall of 2013, the City of Gloucester engaged the community in creating a Downtown Work Plan that identified many shared community values linked to having an active and authentic downtown with a mosaic of uses. Topics stemming from this work included parking, accessibility and connections, streetscape, signage, and building design.
Building upon the success of the Downtown Work Plan, MAPC and the City of Gloucester are partnering to look for ways to better connect the activity and vibrancy of Downtown and the Harbor to the area about ten minutes away around the commuter rail station.The Reimagining Railroad project aims to make the city more walkable, functional, and prosperous while preserving the authentic character the community values.
This project will explore opportunities for bringing additional housing, jobs, goods and services within walking distance of the Gloucester commuter rail station. It will also look at transportation connections between the commuter rail station and the Downtown/Harbor area of Gloucester. Creating well-connected areas of activity is essential to the future of the communities in our region and an important component of MetroFuture, MAPC’s long-term plan for the region. Development in downtowns and around transit creates needed housing, vibrant neighborhoods, improves health and air quality, and increases access to jobs and opportunity.
Meeting Information
Public Meeting #1
MAPC and the City conducted the first public meeting for this project on Wednesday, March 26th at City Hall. Below are some of the materials from the meeting and a summary of comments provided by those who attended.
Public Meeting #2
MAPC and the City conducted the second public meeting for this project on Monday, June 23rd at City Hall. Below are some of the materials from the meeting.
Public Meeting #3
MAPC and the City conducted the third and final public meeting on Monday, September 29th at City Hall. Below are some of the materials from the meeting.
MAPC’s Role
MAPC will be assisting the City in working with the public to identify the key opportunities and impediments to creating a vibrant and active area around the commuter rail station and how to link this area more effectively to the Downtown/Harbor area of Gloucester. This will involve a residential and commercial market analysis, a look at the existing zoning, and exploring what improvements could be made to the roadways connecting the two areas.
Additional Resources
Gloucester Final Documents
MAPC resources:
For more information on MAPC’s prior projects involving work around transit stations, visit our page on Transit Oriented Development.