EXISTING CONDITIONS

Project Boundaries

The 18-acre project site encompasses five city blocks. It is bisected north to south by Main Street, and bounded by Appleton Street to the north and Cabot Street to the south. The western boundary is along Race Street and the eastern boundary is along Crescent and Clemente Street.

Streetscape

The project street corridors typically consist of paved sidewalks, street trees, two-way roads, parallel street parking, crosswalks, alleyways, lights, bike infrastructure, and traffic signs.

Clemente and Crescent Streets meet at a large triangular shaped paved intersection, approximately 160-feet wide at its broadest point.

Part of the second level of the canal runs along Race Street within the project site. The Canal Walk, a promenade with landscaping, decorative paving, fences, benches, and other amenities, starts north of Appleton Street, beyond the project site. According to Friends of the Canal Walk, in the future, the Canal Walk will be completed and continued down south of Appleton Street. Currently, there is no finished sidewalk on the canal side of Race Street.

Colorful banners attached to light poles can be found along Main Street. Spearheaded by El Córazon, a community placemaking project, these banners celebrate the Puerto Rican community and “Hidden Legends.”

Open Spaces And Municipal Parking Lot

The open spaces within the site (spaces without buildings), include private and publicly owned empty lots, paved parking lots, and one park. A large municipal parking lot sits at the center of the site and gets frequent use.

Existing Conditions

Buildings

Many mixed-use buildings, businesses, residences, social organizations, and shelters exists within this site. Industrial brick buildings, once used by Holyoke’s mill industry, are located throughout, especially along the canal on Race Street. Today, many of these buildings still serve industrial purposes, or contain a suite of businesses and community resources.

Soucey Park

Soucey Park, a small public park, directly abuts the Racing Mart gas station to the south, a municipal parking lot to the west, and an apartment building to the north. The park is bisected north to south by a tree-lined sidewalk, a table with a built-in chess board, and benches alongside. The southern half of the park has a mulched playspace with a swing set and playground set. The northern half is turfed with three mature trees along the perimeter and a handball court wall painted with a colorful mural.

Murals

Vibrant murals, many made in collaboration with Beyond Walls, a non-profit placemaking agency that partners with communities to make public art, are located throughout the project site and surrounding area. The murals are representative of the community who frequents this neighborhood. They incorporate Puerto Rican iconography, and some are painted by Puerto Rican artists.