A new $6 million project to make downtown Plymouth safer and more climate friendly could start before the end of the year after the Town recently received a state grant for half the improvements.
Downtown work will include a tripling of the number of trees along Main and Court streets, improved and raised crosswalks to help slow traffic, permeable pavers to allow rainwater to flow naturally into the harbor instead of the sewer drains, and sidewalks opened for soil, shrubs, and perennials to form rain gardens.
The improvements are designed to keep the summer temperatures lower and make the streets safer for pedestrians.
“This project goes far beyond the climate resiliency benefits,” said Michael Cahill, the town’s natural resources specialist. “So, a whole bunch of features rolled into this project that we’re really excited about.”
The major transformation of Court and Main Streets is also expected to make downtown more appealing and vibrant. Sidewalks will be made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Ten crosswalks will be improved, and two raised crosswalks will be built to slow traffic down.
New sidewalk bump outs will also slow traffic. Two large bump-outs will be placed in front of Memorial Hall to improve pedestrian safety, as well as another in Shirley Square, in front of the Yellow Deli and The Edge Pizza.
A big part of the project will involve 86 new trees, Cahilll said. Currently, there are 46 trees along Main and Court Streets between Depot and Shirley Square. More trees bringing more shade will reduce the heat island effect downtown.
Town officials were turned down for the grant last year, but this year the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program agreed to cover half the projected $5.9 million cost of phase one of the town’s downtown resiliency project.
The Community Preservation Committee recently voted to recommend Town Meeting approve another $600,000 in Community Preservation funds for work on Depot Square and Shirley Square parks. In October, the town will ask Town Meeting to fund another $2.3 million.
If Town Meeting approves the funds, Cahill said, work could begin before the end of the year and be concluded by July 2028.
Part two of the project would focus on Courthouse Green, the Main Street Extension parking lot, and a complete reimagining of Town Square from a barren asphalt space to a pedestrian-friendly one.
That part of the project hit a snag in April when Town Meeting refused to fund design work until state funding for part one came through.
Fred Thys can be reached at fred@plymouthindependent.org