The city of Lynn held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday to celebrate a future waterfront park in Lynn. The 22-acre Harbor Park, located on a former landfill, will feature trees, shrubs, walking trails, a butterfly garden, basketball courts and more.
“From day one we had a vision of this being a public open space accessible to all,” said Bob Delhome, the CEO and founder of Charter, an environmental development firm which acquired the land. “You have a city of 100,000 residents that live on the water, but don’t have access to the water.”
Delhome said the landfill had been threatening to collapse, releasing waste and contaminants into the sea — adding that one or two big storms would have led to catastrophe.
The landfill was capped to avoid the spread of contamination. In partnership with the city of Lynn and the commonwealth, Charter acquired the necessary permits to create a green space.
The location, atop a hill, boasts views of Lynn Harbor and Nahant.
Lynn’s Mayor Jared Nicholson said once complete, Harbor Park will be beautiful and inclusive.
“What was a barrier, literally a barrier, cutting us off from the waterfront is [now] an invitation to the entire community to come down here and enjoy this breathtaking view,” said Nicholson.
Local politicians hope the park will serve as a catalyst for economic revitalization in the city.
Representative Dan Cahill said every problem the commonwealth faces can be seen in one square mile in Lynn.
“Ten, 15 years ago, there was high power tension lines running across our waterfront,” said Cahill. “This was an active landfill. There was a flea market down there, and there was really not much of a vision for this parcel.”
Philip Fagan of Beyond Walls, a nonprofit agency in Lynn that addresses community needs, said Harbor Park will provide residents and visitors to Lynn waterfront views to enjoy, which has been challenging in the past.
The park is scheduled to open next year.
