News & Resources

Smart Growth Project: Main Street Corridor and Peabody Square, Peabody

The Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance recognizes smart growth projects and planning/zoning initiatives across the Commonwealth. This project is one of many that were featured at our 2013 conference. See other examples

Peabody

The Main Street Corridor Project is a multi-phase project to transform a four-lane auto-dominated roadway to a two-lane pedestrian/bicyclist friendly environment as well as add three new public outdoor spaces to Peabody Square. Long-term, the City plans to improve side-street connections to a Riverwalk.

Opportunities: Designing the corridor with a “pedestrian-first” mentality created opportunities to extend the sidewalk, bump-out the crosswalks, install new street trees, and create outdoor dining/seating areas. The public investment has already lured private developers to build a hotel and construct or renovate 100+ housing units.

Challenges: Reducing four lanes to two on an already heavily-traveled road to benefit customers was not an easy sell, especially given past mistakes.

Project Team: City of Peabody, Green International Affiliates, Inc.

Cost: $5 million

Funding Sources: Massworks grant, in house funding, CDBG funds

Contact: Blair Haney, Assistant Director of Planning, City of Peabody, blair.haney@peabody-ma.gov, (978) 538-5781