Haverhill city councilors will hold a hearing tonight on a petition to discontinue a portion of Wall Street as a prerequisite for extending the riverfront boardwalk.
The boardwalk, funded as part of a nearly $20 million state grant, would be constructed behind the Harbor Place construction project and run from Basiliere Bridge to City Landing 12. Economic and Planning Director William Pillsbury Jr. is asking the council to approve the discontinuance, which already received a unanimous favorable recommendation from the planning board.
Wall Street was created in 1941 following construction of a flood wall under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A portion of Wall Street will be relocated to allow continued access to the area and for repairs, as necessary, to the flood wall.
Councilors are expected to vote on related orders authorizing the mayor to accept easements to facilitate “building of the boardwalk and relocation of Wall Street.” According to documents, the construction plan shifts Wall Street access by several feet, requiring alignment adjustments to the west. Easements would be granted by Brigham Circle Trust, Newton, owner of 108 Merrimack St., and Walcott Corporation, Boston, owner of 122, 130 and 132 Merrimack St., to provide access.