Mill River Park Groundbreaking
On Saturday, October 15, OLIN CEO and Partner Lucinda Sanders took part in the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase One of Stamford, Connecticut’s Mill River Park. When completed in spring 2013, this 12-acre site will feature new plantings, pathways, a wildflower garden, a lawn for recreation and public events, and a stepped terrace for visitors to explore the river’s edge. OLIN’s design invites residents and visitors to explore the river, creating a space for year-round programming and activities that will make the new park an important social space for this historic city.
Like many of New England’s urban waterways, Stamford’s Mill River has played an important part in the development of the City. Once a backbone of the City’s thriving industrial economy, Mill River’s waters have deteriorated from years of neglect, turning a once vital part of Stamford into a underutilized site. OLIN, in partnership with the Mill River Collaborative, is working to transform the river corridor into an active and vibrant place that can once again become the dynamic center of the City.
OLIN’s primary focus in developing the Mill River master plan is to make the river and its surrounding park an important connector between Stamford’s diverse communities. North and south pedestrian promenades and the River Walk, a pathway along the water’s edge, are key features in the plan and will make the site more accessible, drawing workers from Stamford’s bustling downtown and residents from adjacent neighborhoods to Mill River Park.
As an oasis of nature running through a major urban center, the river’s edges and slopes are designed to be durable and capable of withstanding storm events. The park’s myriad native plants-including grasses, wildflowers, shrubs and trees-were carefully chosen to revitalize degraded aquatic and terrestrial habitats.
Another vital part of the project is to improve the health of Mill River itself. This first step in the restoration process removed the Mill Pond dam and other man-made obstructions, creating a much more natural channel through which the river could flow. These changes, along with OLIN’s new riverside plantings, help restore the site as a habitat for aquatic, terrestrial and migratory bird species. In addition, the project allows migratory fish access to upper reaches of Mill River, improves aquatic diversity within the river, and enhances overall water quality.
