Saint Louis
Sponge Park
Saint Louis Sponge Park
New improvements are coming to Centralville’s Saint Louis Park and the nearby Merrimack Riverfront!
Saint Louis Sponge Park is located along the Merrimack Riverfront in Centralville, adjacent to the Aiken St (Ouellette) Bridge and VFW Highway. Phase 2 of improvements include expanding the park across VFW Highway to the riverfront.
Get Involved
Share your feedback online:
Refining the Design
These designs were presented at the Block Party on October 30, 2025.
Access a full PDF of the posters here.
View the October 2025 Press Release.
Early Ideas for the Park
Early Ideas were presented at the Community Cookout on July 10, 2025.
On July 10th, 2025, the City hosted a community cookout and welcomed folks to share feedback on ideas for the main components of the project: park, gateways, classroom, and river. Access a full PDF of the posters here.
View the July 2025 Press Release.
Learn more about the Park
Check out the StoryMap to learn more from researchers at UMass Lowell about the history and climate resilience of Saint Louis Sponge Park!
Updates
Past Events
Block Party
October 30, 2025
Despite the rainy fall weather, the Block Party was cozy evening of fun! Roughly 130 community members of all ages warmed up with hot spiced cider, Colombian street food from Mira Vé, and live music from DJ Ricky Hai. Community members gathered around a 3D model of the park and shared their feedback on the latest park design.
Missed it?
Missed the fall Block Party? There are still ways to get involved! The 3D model of the park will be showcased at City Hall, and the online survey will be open till the end of the year.
Community Cookout
July 10, 2025
The Saint Louis Sponge Park community cookout was a lively evening of good food, good music, and good company! Nearly 200 residents came out to enjoy the food from Chez Rafiki and a great mix of music from DJ BCreativ. Community members made dozens of comments, providing invaluable feedback that will help shape the design of Saint Louis Park.
News
Five Community Liaisons have joined the St. Louis Sponge Park project!
Learn More
What is the Sponge Park?
New improvements are coming to Saint Louis Park and the nearby Merrimack Riverfront!
Saint Louis Park is located in Lowell’s Centralville neighborhood, on the Merrimack River, the VFW Highway, and adjacent to the Ouellette (Aiken St) Bridge. Home to well-loved baseball fields and basketball courts as well as underutilized space along the river, this park faces climate hazards such as extreme heat, poor air quality, and flooding. The design concepts propose strategies for mitigating these hazards while also improving riverfront experiences and investing in vibrant gathering spaces for Centralville and all of Lowell.
This project is led by the City of Lowell’s Department of Planning and Development in partnership with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust. This project is supported by a $5 million EPA grant and a $920,000 grant from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, a state-funded program that supports Massachusetts cities and towns undertaking projects to improve their resiliency to climate hazards. Phase 1 of improvements to Saint Louis Park are already underway—they include updating the existing playground and basketball courts. Phase 2 of improvements will include expanding the park across VFW Highway all the way to the Merrimack River. More information on Phase 1 of the project can be found here on the City’s website.
Project Timeline
Current Phase: Design Development
In this phase, running from September through December 2025, the community is invited to provide feedback on more developed design concepts for the park. Design drawings will paint a picture of future areas of the park, and community members can weigh in on their priorities for areas throughout the St. Louis Sponge Park.
