Leota Sarrette submitted the winning concept for the plaza in front of Herbert H. Goecke Jr. Memorial Parking Deck.
Terra-cotta from the Daggett Building near the top of the Herbert H. Goecke Jr. Memorial Parking Deck.
The envelope please…
The winner of the best low-cost design for “reimagining” an area in front of the Merrimack Street parking garage is Leota Sarrette.
Sarrette was recently named by Creative Haverhill for her entry into the “creative placemaking” contest. Her idea is to “activate” the brick plaza in front of the Herbert H. Goecke Jr. Memorial Parking Deck.
“We received about a dozen proposals, ranging from a ‘wishing tree’ to a forest themed mural, to gaming tables. For the winning proposal, we chose the project that we believed would have the longest impact on the space and engage the most people. Leota Sarrette’s ‘Goecke Activate’ proposal will utilize the $2,000 to pay for six weeks of scheduled programming in the space, including a puppeteer, yoga in the park, a sidewalk chalk contest, and concerts,” according to a statement from Creative Haverhill.
The $350 prize and up to $2,000 to implement the winning design comes from a $6,000 grant from quasi-public MassDevelopment, which is spearheading Haverhill’s Transformative Development Initiative (TDI). Remaining grant funds will be used to provide seating and shade structures, said Jenny Arndt, Creative Haverhill’s arts and culture coordinator.
“The Merrimack Street end of Downtown Haverhill is part of Haverhill’s Transformative Development District, an area chosen specifically for revitalization. Using creative placemaking principles like ‘quicker, lighter, cheaper.’ artists and cities can take underutilized areas and begin to change how the public interacts with them,” she said.
Other groups interested in participating in the makeover may email Arndt at [email protected]. Those who would like to get on the performance/activity schedule, may email Sarrette at [email protected].