An amount of $2.5m in the form of a bond has been approved by the Newburyport City Council for the Bartlet Mall revitalization project.
The Community Preservation Committee is providing the bond for the project, which is estimated to cost $2.79m. Kim Turner, manager of special projects, said the remaining funds have been collected from contributions from the Community Preservation Act.
The Bartlet Mall and its Frog Pond are at the intersection of Pond and High Streets. In the 1600s, it was the Town Common and used as a farming and industrial site. The Frog Pond was formed by glacial activity and is at the center of the park. When the Superior Court Building was constructed on the property in 1805, a stagnant pond was created which has been in decline for many years. In addition, there are many contaminants in the subsoil that include lead, chromium, and arsenic.
Turner said that the project will include encapsulating the four-foot Frog Pond and installing a high-density polyethylene liner that will prevent sewage and phosphorus from circulating in the water. Turner recommended that the project should include sub-circulation, which will also add more oxygen to the Frog Pond. Banner printing is often used at such sites to inform the community of projects and what they will entail.
Construction is expected to begin this fall.
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188 Route One Traffic Circle
Newburyport, MA 01950
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