stone seatwalls that mark the corners . Benches without barriers were sited throughout the Park , providing flexible gathering and , also , conveying an attitude about social welfare by not discouraging the City ’ s homeless population from using the Park , something that was progressively supported by the Mayor and DPW . String lights bring a sense of festivity and encourage nighttime and multi-seasonal use of the plaza . At the heart of the Park , an expansive , south-facing lawn panel provides opportunities for community-scale events and daily activity . A biergarten adjacent to the Academy of Music , also owned by the City , offers overflow social space for pre- and post-concert gathering . A bridge over the bioswale holds court at the eastern edge of the lawn , providing a stage for seasonal events and an accessible route between the main thoroughfare and the green space .
At the eastern edge of the Park along Memorial Hall , a grove of existing Locust trees was preserved , and a wilder , woodland garden of native fern and groundcovers mimics the riparian flora of the Mill River . The southern edge of the Park features a larger nature play area , including a collection of Black Locust climbing logs , a spinning play structure , a Goshen stone slide and slabs , and a deck for moveable tables and chairs . The play area was integrated under a grove of mature Linden trees .
Community Influencing Additional Scope
The scope of the Park actually grew in size during the community design process , and the site was expanded to include a second phase of work called “ The Overlook ”. This southern reach of land includes a steep embankment of the old Mill River , consisting of a long switchback pedestrian way that connects the Main Street Park to the Mill River Greenway and lower neighborhoods of Northampton . The community voiced its desire to have a more direct connection between the Greenway and downtown , and the Park landscape , in this way , is a conduit for this regional movement . The Overlook was recently bid as a second phase of work and construction will begin in the fall of 2016 . The DPW secured an additional Massachusetts PARC Grant to support the project construction .
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