REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST
Arena Riverfront (Lot B) Redevelopment Parcel
100, 152 and 174 River Place,
Lowell, MA
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA February 2013 The University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Martin Meehan, Chancellor
Arena Riverfront Development Committee
UMass Lowell Joanne Yestramski, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations Thomas Dreyer, Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management
Advisor to UMass Lowell Frank Keefe, President, The Keefe Company
University of Massachusetts Building Authority Katherine Craven, Executive Director
City of Lowell Adam Baacke, Assistant City Manager and Director of the Division of Planning and Development Thomas Moses, Chief Financial Officer
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA The Committee requests qualified developers to submit letters of interest regarding the Arena Riverfront (Lot B) Redevelopment parcel. This document introduces the major features of the development process. Letters are dueApril 8, 2013.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Description of the opportunity ...... 1
2. Lowell, MA - The Next Great City...... 4
3. Description of existing site conditions...... 9
4. Environmental conditions...... 10
5. Design guidelines...... 11
6. Process and form of response...... 14
7. Schedule and next steps...... 16
8. Appendices...... 17
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 1. Description of the opportunity NORTH In its 2010 acquisition of the Tsongas Center from CAMPUS the City of Lowell, the University of Massachusetts EAST Building Authority (UMBA) also acquired the CAMPUS Arena Riverfront (Lot B) parcel on behalf of the
University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), and Tsongas UNIVERSITY Center with it a commitment to pursue development of CROSSING the approximately 2.8-acre site. Known familiarly LOT B SITE as “Lot B,” the site is actually comprised of parcels known as Lots B, C and D. The Arena Riverfront parcel redevelopment is intended to transform an underutilized brownfield site, currently used for parking, to a mixed-use project. DOWNTOWN
Located at a strategic juncture between the UMass Lowell East Campus residential area and downtown
Lowell, the Arena Riverfront site can serve as a Hamilton Canal District new center of activity and a connector between these distinct downtown environments. The The Arena Riverfront parcel is an important project offers the opportunity to contribute to the point of connection between UMass Lowell and downtown Lowell development of a mixed use academic/urban neighborhood. It is intended to be the kind of place that attracts students, researchers, and new companies, supports regional entertainment venues at the Tsongas Center and LeLacheur Park, and extends the active areas of downtown Lowell. The redevelopment of the Arena Riverfront (Lot B) parcel can be a catalyst for added vitality and ambience for Lowell.
UML is seeking development teams with creative ideas for the near or long term development of the site under a long-term lease agreement. Building uses that serve and entertain people are preferred, such as a boutique hotel, meeting and convention space, office/R&D, service retail, distinctive restaurants, or destination sports and entertainment uses. Enhancing the success of the Tsongas Center is an essential goal of this project. Shorter term uses that may be part of a phased development approach are also welcome, such as an ice rink, field house or sports/entertainment complex offering multiple athletic activities. A lease term sufficient to obtain financing is anticipated. Student housing should not be included in proposals.
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 1 Existing conditions
LeLacheur Renaissance Park on the River (former Lawrence Mills) M E R R I M A C K R I V E R The Lofts at VFW HIGHWAY
AIKEN STREET Perkins Place UML University PERKINS STREET (former Suites site Lawrence Mills)
HALL STREET Park UML Ames Building Tsongas Center CABOT STREET LOT B FATHER MORRISSETTE BLVD Wannalancit Mills MLK WAYSITE UMass Lowell River Cox RIVER PLACE Place Jeanne Circle SUFFOLK STREET Towers D’Arc
MOODY STREET Credit Post Ayotte Union Office Garage Existing Trolley Boott Mills
MERRIMACK STREET ARCAND DRIVE ARCAND Lowell MARKET STREET High School JFK Civic
Center BRIDGE STREET
City Hall
2 REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA Regional connections to site Lowell’s diverse urban environment—with the mighty Merrimack River LOT B and its canal ways, a wide array of cultural and recreational activities, and North Campus an inviting, walkable downtown— may offer ripe market potential for a specialty hotel. Envisioned as a hotel designed in a contemporary style, with destination services and dining, it would support guests coming to East Campus town for business, conference, sporting events, cultural and recreational Fr. Morissette Blvd tourism and complement the visitor clientele coming to Lowell and the Pawtucket Street Fletcher Street
Arcand Tsongas Center. Drive Wilder Street
ICC
In a similar way, a number of other East Coast academic Dutton Street Hamilton Canal institutions have worked with private developers to bring in hotels South Campus District in support of town-gown community building. In Boston, The Thorndike Street MBTA Hotel Commonwealth has been developed near Boston University. Commuter Rail/ Gallagher Similarly, Le Meridien Cambridge-MIT supports visitors in and Terminal around MIT.
Alternatively, the site could accommodate sports and entertainment uses, building upon the proximity to the Tsongas The Lowell Connector Center, which hosts numerous sporting and entertainment events.
A new development on the Arena Riverfront (Lot B) parcel can offer a strong terminus to the Hall Street corridor, reinforce the connection between UMass Lowell’s East Campus and the Downtown, and create more opportunities for enhanced connections to the Riverwalk and National Park Service (NPS) canal system.
Route 3
Route 495
The Arena Riverfront (Lot B) parcel includes river frontage with a Connector Lowell The connection to the Riverwalk, a recreation and park amenity which extends in either direction along the river from the site. Lowell’s downtown is also a National Park site, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year with event programming, exhibits, and tours. Lot B offers an excellent opportunity for 2.8 acres of new development in the heart of Lowell’s wealth of resources. REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 3 2. Lowell - The Next Great City
Lowell is a city of thoughtful reinvention that continues to grow, fueled by a cooperative spirit and a creative economy.
The Arena Riverfront (Lot B) Redevelopment is just one of many public and private projects taking Lowell to its newest phase as the next great city. The context of growth, activity, arts, business, research, academics and entertainment make this parcel an exceptional development opportunity.
Lowell is a city of more than 106,000 that long ago learned to evolve and thrive. When the textile industry went south and mills closed, and again decades later, when the hi- tech boom went bust, the city used its core values and cooperative spirit to survive tough times and forge strong and vibrant new identities.
Plenty has been said about Lowell’s blue-collar toughness. Work, home and community Lowell have always been woven into the fabric of its soul. More recently, another side of Massachusetts’ is a city of fourth-largest city has been on display, which mirrors its motto: “Art is the handmaid of human good.” Building on history, handsome old urban mills have been thoughtful overhauled as condominiums, office space and galleries for blocks surrounding the Arena Riverfront (Lot B) parcel. The reinvention that mills where workers once pumped out miles of textiles are being re-used as retail and office space and National Park continues to Service exhibits. Lowell, birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution, is an grow, fueled by a urban National Historical Park, loaded with landmarks, mills and tours, including boat excursions along the city’s 5.6 miles cooperative spirit of canals. The Park Service has been an essential partner in the revitalization of the city, in planning, revitalization and and a Creative attracting over 750,000 visitors a year. Artists have been drawn to the City’s Arts District and homebuyer programs to set up Economy. work-live studios. Funky shops are popping up. The Hamilton Canal District development is converting 15 acres (including 4 REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA refurbished mills) into a vibrant, mixed use, live-work artist and commercial district. Over 600 hundred new homes will be created by build-out, in addition to hundreds of other units planned or recently completed in the downtown area. The first artist live-work rental units are now occupied.
Lowell has its place in literary history, and native son Jack Kerouac’s work continues to be celebrated across the globe. Lowell boxer Micky Ward’s story has been told on the silver screen (“The Fighter”), earning a pair of Oscars. Another Lowell native, Bette Davis, lit up the Oscar podium years before and the great artist James McNeill Whistler was born here, too.
People like doing business in Lowell, whether it’s to visit or locate an office here. Close to the hub of Boston, but without the hassles of going there, Lowell has turned adaptive re-use of its spacious buildings into an art. Cross Point, a 14-story, 1.2 million square-foot office building was once the worldwide headquarters of Wang Computer. Now it holds several businesses, including Motorola and MetLife.
Once-dormant mills, a reminder of the city’s past, have been a key to re- imagining Lowell and are now home to an array of businesses. Wannalancit, a 260,000 square foot former mill building set alongside the Northern canal and within a block of the Arena Riverfront (Lot B) development parcel, is partly owned by UMass Lowell. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places, recently renovated, and now home to many businesses and University departments. One tenant, M2D2, is an innovative program that offers medical device companies incubator space, fee-based services in business planning, prototype development and clinical pathway assistance.
Lowell also offers some remarkable natural features. Cutting a jagged swath through the city is the mighty Merrimack River, which once powered the mills that drew immigrant workers in waves to build the canals and structures that add to Lowell’s uniqueness. The Merrimack is now a watery playground and sports host, home to an annual Asian Water festival, as well as regional and national rowing meets. Those fond of rafting can find a whitewater challenge REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 5 The always-strong in the Concord River, one of the Merrimack’s tributaries. The rugged beauty of the city’s vast canals has drawn comparisons to Venice. In September of 2012, the Massachusetts Cultural Council approved the town-gown relationship designation of the Lowell Canalway Cultural District, recognizing the unique combination of cultural, between the city’s artistic, and economic activity. academic institutions Lowell’s diversity is born in part of those who came to the U.S. to find work or a new life of freedom, from Irish to Greek to German and French Canadian. More recent waves have come from Cambodia and and the city benefits not other Asian countries, as well as Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Each contributes a distinct just Lowell, but other sense of community and culture, not to mention tasty cuisine. parts of Massachusetts There’s much fun and entertainment in the mix these days. The Tsongas Center, adjacent to the Arena Riverfront (Lot B) parcel and now owned by UMass and southern New Lowell, hosts everything from student graduations and UMass Lowell hockey Hampshire as well. to performances by Bob Dylan, Drake, Eric Church, Drop Kick Murphys, Kelly Clarkson, Stephen King, the Harlem Globetrotters and Katy Perry. The Tsongas Center hosted a major senatorial debate in October of 2012 and was ranked 13th in “Top Stops” rankings by Venues Today Magazine for venues of its size in 2012. Since July of 2011 the Tsongas Center has hosted 146 events and approximately 235,000 fans. LeLacheur Park, a riverside ballpark a couple of blocks away, is home to the Lowell Spinners, a Red Sox minor league franchise. One of the Merrimack Valley’s toughest tickets, the Spinners sold out every home game from 2000-2010 and welcomed over 170,000 fans at over 37 home games in 2012.
A few blocks in the other direction, The Lowell Summer Music Series at Boarding House Park offers Friday and Saturday night performances by popular artists, set on a carpet of grass under the stars in a stunning, historical National Park setting. Each July for the past 25 years, hundreds of thousands have flocked to the three-day Lowell Folk Festival to feast upon traditional music from around the world and ethnic foods served up by local non-profits. It is the largest free folk festival in North America.
The Arena Riverfront development (Lot B) parcel is not only centrally located within a burgeoning Lowell, but also within 6 REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA what Chancellor Marty Meehan calls a “college town,” a reflection of UMass Lowell’s deep commitment to and presence within the city, along with the downtown campus of Middlesex Community College.
With enrollment on the rise, the University continues to pursue new building projects on its three urban campuses, and offers a mix of strong programming in the arts and humanities with cutting-edge engineering, science and research opportunities.
In 2011, the University bought a former hospital for redevelopment as University Crossing, a new one stop campus center. The new student center, opening in 2014, will provide another strong physical link to downtown The Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center Lowell and to North Campus via the new University Avenue bridge, currently opened in October of 2012 under construction by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The new, $80 million Mark and Elisia Saab Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center (ETIC) was recently completed on North Campus, a state-of-the-art technology and research facility. A new 650-space garage near the Costello Gym also opened in Fall 2012. Across the Merrimack River on East Campus, construction is underway on University Suites, a 472-bed, suite-style A recent study residence hall. On South Campus, UMass Lowell is nearing completion of a $40 million academic building, completed by UMass with a 760-space garage also in construction. University Suites, the South Campus academic building, and the South Campus garage will all open in 2013. Lowell and the Lowell
But it is what goes on inside that matters. Over the past several years, the Plan, Inc. quantified the university has pushed to become an academic leader in advanced manufacturing. University’s financial Drawing researchers from across the globe, the Saab Emerging Technology and Innovation Center building is now home to nanotechnology, plastics engineering stimulus to Lowell at and biomedicine. about $10 million in Another University goal is to expand its reach and perspective with international annual spending. study and joint research programs, by attracting more foreign students and hosting events such as the spring 2011 summit of international women leaders discussing social means for achieving peace. REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 7 UMass Lowell pursues excellence in all dimensions of the University experience, including athletics. While it is sometimes difficult to steal the spotlight from the nationally-ranked Division I River Hawks ice hockey team, since 2000 the University’s Division II teams have captured 54 conference championships and qualified for 103 NCAA tournaments. Included among the success stories was the field hockey team’s perfect 24-0 season and NCAA national championship in 2010.
A study completed by UMass Lowell and the Lowell Plan, Inc. quantified the University’s financial stimulus to Lowell at about $10 million in annual spending. The Lowell Plan’s website, www.lowellplan.org, offers a video overview of a vision for 2020, with continued growth and regeneration. Today, the city’s cobblestone streets bustle with a younger, more vibrant crowd looking for nightlife and the acclaimed, diverse cuisine. The mix and market is a testament to the large academic population.
Lowell is ideally located, just 30 miles northwest of Boston, within its metropolitan business and technology market. It is within 35 miles of two international airports, just a few miles below the New Hampshire border and The Arena Riverfront less than an hour from coastal Maine. New Hampshire’s lakes, development site offers beaches and White Mountains are a main attraction in the summer. The Lowell Connector feeds the city from Interstate an opportunity to be at 495, and Route 3 also runs through it from New Hampshire to Interstate 95/Route 128. The Lowell Regional Transit Authority the center of the action, operates a comprehensive system, and the National Park Service’s on the cusp of Lowell’s charming trolley, now serving the historic park, is planned for expansion throughout the downtown. exciting future. Lowell offers the arts, academia, sports, entertainment, research and technology and an increasingly chic urban lifestyle. Mindful of the past and optimistic about the future, it’s a city reinventing itself at the vanguard of the creative economy.
Roughly a mile radius connects the Arena Riverfront development site to any destination in the downtown and to all of the UMass Lowell campuses. This development site offers an opportunity to be at the center of the action, on the cusp of Lowell’s exciting future. 8 REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 3. Description of existing site conditions
The southwest of the site fronts on Cox Circle, opposite the Tsongas Center. The site is part of an important entry sequence, with convenient access from Dutton Street, the Lowell Connector and the regional highway system. Cox Circle, once reinforced with building facades, has the potential to again become a strong place in Lowell’s landscape.
Also fronting on Cox Circle are:
• a city-owned development parcel (Lot E) in front of the Ayotte Garage;
• a city-owned surface parking lot; and,
• a U.S. Postal Service office.
The city-owned parcels are opportunities for larger-scale development beyond the boundaries of the Arena Riverfront site.
The Ayotte Garage, adjacent to a corner of the site, may be expected to include some excess capacity. Availability on the order of approximately 150-250 spaces could be expected in the timeframe of the Arena Riverfront Development’s implementation. Analysis of urban design opportunities near site
River Place serves as a pedestrian connection to the Riverwalk, as does the Mill Footprint Park and greenspace along the canal north of the Tsongas Center. Hall Street is an important central spine connecting to the heart of UMass Lowell’s East Campus, to Wannalancit Mills’ office and exhibit space, university research facilities, and LeLacheur Park minor league baseball facility.
VIew of Cox Circle and the Tsongas Center
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 9 The Lowell Plan Video highlights the Downtown A portion of the site at the river frontage is within the 100-year floodplain, and also within jurisdiction of Lowell Evolution Plan by Speck & Associates LLC in association with AECOM and Rock Maple the City of Lowell’s 25-foot riverfront setback. A city-owned pump station is located on the riverfront at Studios and depicts an illustrative development the northwest corner of the site, and is a significant point of disconnection along the Riverwalk. To the concept for the Arena Riverfront site southeast is River Place Towers high-rise housing.
The site is part of the Downtown Lowell Historic District and is zoned as Downtown Mixed Use (DMU). Zoning allows, as of right, a maximum floor area ratio of 4, minimum lot frontage of 25’, and no other explicit dimensional requirement. The Lowell Zoning Code promotes shared parking strategies and allows all parking demand to be met in the adjacent public parking garage so no parking construction will be required within the development by zoning.
Speck & Associates recently completed for the Lowell Plan, Inc. the Lowell Downtown Evolution Plan. This document included sections that addressed the Arena Riverfront site and Cox Circle’s complementary development opportunity on city-owned land; these sections are included as reference in the Appendices. The concepts within the Lowell Downtown Evolution Plan are generally in keeping with the goals for the development of this site.
4. Environmental conditions
A review and summary of previous environmental site assessments was prepared by Watermark Engineering in September 2008. Their report will be available for review as described in Section 6.
In 1997, the site achieved a designation of No Significant Risk (NSR) for commercial uses, with an Activity and Use Limitation (AUL), as some soil exceeded residential soil standards.
Brownfields redevelopment tax credits may be available as a source of equity in conjunction with a development project at this site.
10 REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 5. Design guidelines for site redevelopment
Site Organization • Reinforce the activities of the Tsongas Center • Create strong connections to East Campus, Cox Circle and Downtown • Reinforce the edge at Cox Circle • Ensure appropriate pedestrian scale, edge and articulation as part of new development • Include permeability at the edges to invite people into the site • Emphasize River Place as a key gateway to the Riverwalk • Concentrate delivery and service functions on Martin Luther King Way • Create an open space connection between River Place and Mill Footprint Park
Massing • Massing should contribute to diversity of scale in the area • Buildings of substantial height at Cox Circle and/or on the riverfront should be considered, though no higher than adjacent buildings • Shadow impacts should be considered • The current zoning is a minimum FAR of 1.0 and a maximum of 4.0. The parcel size is approximately 97,000 square feet, allowing between 97,000 and 388,000 square feet of development
WANNALANCIT MILLS TSONGAS CENTER
ARENA RIVERFRONT (LOT B) SITE
View of Cox Circle and site from Ayotte Garage REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 11 Land Use • Mixed-use development under a lease agreement with the University of Massachusetts Building Authority and the University of Massachusetts Lowell • Major land uses - hotel, office/R&D, supportive retail, entertainment, sports and recreation • Additional uses may include restaurants, an ice rink, sports entertainment complex, a cinema/theater complex, and entertainment uses such as a Ferris wheel or carousel • Uses which support the sports and entertainment venues at the Tsongas Center and LeLacheur Park, and downtown retail stores are encouraged • Majority of parking to be housed in the Ayotte parking garage - 1,250 car capacity • Do not include student housing as part of any proposal Other Design Considerations • Transparent building edges at grade on Cox Circle and River Place • Option to consider River Place and parcel in front of Ayotte Garage (Lot E) for expanded development (not under UML control) • Option to consider enhancements to Cox Circle itself (not under UML control)
LOT B
12 REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA The site’s location supports access to funding tools and incentives such as: • Development projects in this area of Lowell are eligible for New Market Tax Credits, which can be a valuable source of equity investment • Federal HUBZone business certification establishes contracting advantages for businesses located in Lowell downtown neighborhoods • Potential State incentive programs include tax credits to support manufacturing, research and Development, and other commercial real estate investments, as well as brownfields redevelopment • Lowell’s status as a Massachusetts Economic Target Area provides access to additional tax incentives
The University of Massachusetts Building Authority (UMBA) owns the site, and any disposition of the property will take place through the Authority’s process. Outright sale of the property is not an option. A mortgageable ground lease is assumed, and at the end of the lease term the site and improvements will return to UMBA and the University unencumbered.
MAJOR GOALS
1. Development will be privately led, contribute to tax base, and support long-term university development
2. Development will take place under a lease agreement
3. Uses and site planning will reinforce activities at the Tsongas Center
4. Project will support and enhance access to the River and Riverwalk
5. Project will enhance connections to downtown
6. Hotel, office/R&D, recreation/entertainment, retail are the most desired uses
7. Project will be consistent with relevant City plans and the Lowell historic context
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 13 6. Process and form of response
The Letters of Interest are due April 8, 2013 at 5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, addressed to:
Thomas Hoole Director of Purchasing University of Massachusetts Lowell Wannalancit Business Center 600 Suffolk Street, Suite 415 Lowell, MA 01854
Please provide six (6) hard copies and one digital file on CD, in PDF format. Only one (1) hard copy of any financial statements is needed, and may be submitted in a separate, sealed envelope. No electronic file of financial statements is necessary.
A site tour and orientation will be conducted on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at 10 A.M. at the Tsongas Center, 300 Martin Luther King Way, Lowell, MA 01852. Please RSVP by March 1 for the site visit by at UMassLowell_ [email protected]. Relevant documents addressing environmental conditions, easements, history, and nearby projects may be reviewed by appointment at Wannalancit Business Center, 600 Suffolk Street, Lowell, MA, 01854.
Within the response letter, please address the following topics:
1. Identify team members, firms and individuals (principal, project manager, key roles)
2. Outline of development experience, especially on projects of similar scale
- Please describe and portray two or more examples of successes in developing projects that have led to significant revitalization and economic spin-off, with references and project data (cost of project, year of completion, areas by use, evidence of financial performance, evidence of catalytic economic effects).
- Describe a vision in each case.
- Multi-media submissions encouraged.
14 REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 3. Initial thoughts regarding a development concept, including anticipated uses.
4. Approach to the Lowell market and its physical and cultural context
5. How the project will be consistent with relevant City plans and the historic context.
6. Approach to community process; one of Lowell’s great advantages is the strength of its civic institutions and civic dialogue.
7. Other regulatory or other changes anticipated by team, if any (e.g. zoning change). If there are regulatory amendments needed to implement a strong vision, the City is willing to engage in discussion.
8. Initial thoughts regarding length of lease term, project financing, discussion of track record attracting financing, and experience using New Market tax credits, brownfields redevelopment programs and/or other incentives.
9. Approach to development in conjunction with site environmental restrictions, including the Activity and Use Limitation (AUL) and description of similar experience.
Please direct any questions regarding the Request for Letters of Interest by email only to Thomas Hoole ([email protected]) by 5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time on March 8, 2013. View over river at Riverwalk
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 15 7. Schedule and next steps
After receipt of letters by April 8, 2013, the Arena Riverfront Development Committee (ARDC) review submissions. The intent is to select qualified teams who will be invited to submit more detailed proposals.
The intended schedule is as follows (all times are Eastern Standard Time):
RFLI available February 13, 2013
Site tour March 6, 2013, 10 A.M. Please RSVP for the tour by March 1, 2013 to [email protected]
Questions due March 8, 2013, 5 P.M.
RFLI Response due April 8, 2013, 5 P.M.
The ARDC will evaluate responses to this RFLI and may invite qualified teams to submit more detailed proposals. Upon successful identification of a preferred development team, UMBA and UMass Lowell will negotiate a development agreement with lease terms, financing terms, timetables, outreach process, ongoing design review, historic review, zoning review, and other details to ensure a successful process and project.
UMBA/UML reserves the right not to proceed with this development process at any time.
16 REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST, ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA APPENDICES
UMass Lowell web resources and publications: UMass Lowell Alumni Magazine: http://www.uml.edu/News/Alumni-Magazine.aspx A Campus on the Move: Work Ready, Life Ready, World Ready UMass Lowell In Any Event Discover Lowell: A Great College Town
City of Lowell publications: Things To Do In Lowell Lowell/Tsongas Center Walking Maps
Resources:
UMass Lowell Capital Improvements - http://www.uml.edu/facilities/Capital-Improvements/default.html
The Lowell Sun: The Transformation of UMass Lowell - http://www.lowellsun.com/umasstransformation
The Lowell Downtown Evolution Plan - http://www.lowellplan.org/content/lowell-downtown-evolution-plan
The Inn & Conference Center and Beyond: The Lowell Plan, Inc. - UMass Lowell Downtown Initiative Report - http://www.lowellplan.org/content/downtown-initiative-report
City Comprehensive Master Plan - http://www.lowellma.gov/depts/dpd/master_plan/complete_masterplan
Lowell Trolley Transit Study - http://www.lowellma.gov/depts/dpd/DLTEP/Trolley_Study/view
The Hamilton Canal District - http://www.hamiltoncanal.com/
Discover Lowell - http://www.cultureiscool.org/discover-lowell
REQUEST FOR LETTERS OF INTEREST,ARENA RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT PARCEL, LOWELL, MA 17 A CAMPUS ON THE MOVE Learning with Purpose Learning with Purpose Work Ready Life Ready World Ready
One University Avenue Lowell, MA 01854-3629 www.uml.edu www.uml.edu UMass Lowell has been called “a campus on the move” with good reason. UMass Lowell, one of the five University of Massachusetts campuses, is a comprehensive, national research university In recent years, the University has surged forward by every important measure offering its 15,000 students 120 undergraduate, 32 master’s and 20 doctoral degree programs in the areas of education, of higher education: academics, research, fundraising, globalization, recruitment, engineering, fine arts, health and environment, humanities, liberal arts, management, sciences and social sciences. retention, diversity, campus life, engagement with the community and the range of new and renovated facilities.
The University’s students, faculty and staff – spurred by an entrepreneurial Learning with Purpose spirit and a passion for making a difference in the region and around the globe – create a campus bustling with vigor and a promising future.
UMass Lowell is keenly focused on preparing students to be work ready, life ready and world ready. The campus is committed to being a leader in teaching, research and engagement with local and global communities. IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
The University draws on the legacy of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship that has defined the city Robert Manning ’84, is one of UMass of Lowell since its days as the birthplace of the American industrial revolution. Today, Lowell is an urban Lowell’s most successful alumni and the head of MFS Investments which manages laboratory for learning that has a lively mix of ethnic cultures and is home to artists, museums, businesses more than $240 billion in assets. and a National Park. He and his wife, Donna, also a graduate, have UMass Lowell is an economic engine for the region and state. Breakthroughs in knowledge lead to new made a multimillion- technologies and new ideas that help solve social challenges. The steady stream of talented graduates dollar commitment that also fills a critical need for knowledgeable workers. will result in more than $5 million toward a new College of Management building. Manning says, “UMass Lowell’s College What People Say About UMass Lowell of Management gave me the education I needed • The London Times ranks the University of Massachusetts 56 out of the top to be a success. When I began my career 200 institutions worldwide, and 19 for academic and research reputation. in the investment world, I was competing against graduates of some of the most • US News & World Report ranks UMass Lowell among the top 200 prestigious schools in the world. national research universities. I did a better job than all of them not because I was smarter or worked • For two of the last three years, Payscale.com reported that UMass Lowell harder, but because I was better graduates command the highest mid-career salaries among public institutions in educated than they were.” New England. In 2011, the campus moved into second place for the highest starting salaries among the same group.
www.uml.edu 1 Academics Division of Online and Continuing Education UMass Lowell is home to one of the largest continuing education providers in New England, offering graduate and The heart of the University is its academics. At UMass Lowell, new and updated programs, Recent New Programs undergraduate programs on campus and online in a wide array of academic subjects. As the academic outreach arm of the University, the Division serves as a vital gateway to higher education and economic development not only in the interdisciplinary teaching, an international focus and expanded opportunities for learning • Bachelor’s degrees in entrepreneurship, Merrimack Valley, but throughout the world, through its online programs and corporate training partnerships. In fact, through experience prepare students for work, life and all the world offers. international business and environmental the Division has been a pioneer in online education since 1996, when it made the University’s traditional academic health In its six colleges, every eligible program is accredited at the highest level. The faculty is equal to programs available to students all over the world – and in the process, earned a national reputation for its dedication • Interdisciplinary undergraduate programs the best at any institution and all classrooms are wired with the latest instructional technology. to quality and innovative online programming. in robotics and forensics Students establish early connections to a professor and peers in their major through freshman • Bachelor’s and master’s degrees in peace learning communities organized around shared academic interests. They thrive in small classes, and conflict studies half of which have fewer than 20 students, where the student-to-faculty ratio is 14-to-1. • Master’s degree in innovation and Alumni speak glowingly about professors who changed their lives and became mentors for life. technological entrepreneurship • Ph.D. degree program in criminology Internships, co-op learning, practicum placements and various forms of hands-on learning and criminal justice through service provide invaluable experience to students. Opportunities to study abroad are expanding through a growing number of international partnerships, from Ireland to China. UMass Lowell students graduate with a global awareness and confidence in their ability to excel in any environment.
2 Learning with Purpose www.uml.edu 3 Professional Science Master’s programs provide a two-year, non-thesis, graduate option designed to enhance opportunities for career advancement. Program components include core science curricula, business and communications courses and an internship requirement that provides graduates with valuable experience and contacts in their fields. Non-thesis, experience-based leadership options have been added to master’s degree programs in engineering.
In recent years, the University has attracted:
More students • A 34.5 percent increase in incoming undergraduates • An increase of 17 percent in overall enrollment • A 12 percent jump in doctoral and master’s degree enrollments
More diverse students • 73 percent increase in diversity among new undergraduates • 53 percent increase in graduate student diversity • 42 percent increase in overall student diversity IN THE SPOTLIGHT: IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Better students Liam Driscoll: “I did an internship Ruchika Shah: “The Honors Program and they offered me a job.” • Since 2006, the average SAT scores of incoming freshmen provides so many opportunities to jumped 44 points. A plastics engineering major who partici- develop knowledge and leadership pated in the campus’s Co-op Program, • Fall 2011 incoming freshmen had an average SAT of 1114 qualities. Plus, my peers in the program Liam spent a summer at Newell Rubbermaid and an average GPA of 3.26. are sincere, studious, friendly and fun.” in Huntersville, N.C., working on the design Ruchika, one of the 470 students in the of home and food storage products. The results are outstanding: campus’s Commonwealth Honors Program, The hands-on experience sharpened his • Freshman retention rate of 79 percent, compared to takes advantage of honors classes, special engineering skills and, he says, “It was projects and activities. Students can also a national average of 66 percent great to work on something that seemed choose to live in Honors House, a unique to matter. One of the products I worked • Between 2002 and 2008, the largest improvement residential option that includes special on may roll out this year.” Driscoll is now in graduation rates among New England publics programming and a faculty-member- a full-time employee of the company. in-residence. • Four straight years of largest-ever graduating classes, including May 2011, when 2,570 degrees were awarded
4 Learning with Purpose www.uml.edu 5 BETWEEN 2007 AND 2011, Research and Scholarship RESEARCH EXPENDITURES INCREASED 63 PERCENT, UMass Lowell faculty are internationally respected researchers and scholars. TO $59.3 MILLION. RECENT Our researchers tackle the world’s toughest challenges, from answering GRANTS INCLUDE: today’s call for clean, sustainable energy to developing the next generation of medical technologies. They investigate a wide range of topics, from I A 10-year, $25 million grant from diversity in the workplace to the environmental implications of the the National Science Foundation for wordwide increase in childhood asthma. the Center for High-rate Nanomanu- facturing (CHN) – one of only four The University’s research is accomplished through interdisciplinary IN THE SPOTLIGHT: such centers in the United States. collaborations among academic departments, creative contributions With Northeastern and the University Rafael Moure-Eraso, Professor Emeritus, from the future workforce (our students) and substantive partnerships of New Hampshire, we are conducting Department of Work Environment with corporations and leading national research institutes. Students work research that has the potential to side by side with faculty on major research and scholarly projects, obtaining Prof. Rafael Moure-Eraso was appointed revolutionize nanotechnology-based priceless experiences in laboratories, in libraries and in the field. in 2010 by President Barack Obama to manufacturing processes in virtually chair the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, every industry. Research strategies include moving research from inventions an agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. In this I toward new products, especially in industries like medical A five-year, $25 million Army role, he led the investigation into the devices; expanding the licensing of intellectual property; grant for the Sub-millimeter Wave accidental chemical release that Technology Lab (STL). New medical and creating spinoff companies like Konarka Technologies, destroyed the Deepwater Horizon rig in imaging breakthroughs for patients which produces flexible, lightweight solar “fabric” 2010, which poured millions of barrels could result from research conducted that generates low-cost electricity. of crude oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico. in STL’s labs.
Through books, articles and action-based I A 10-year, $10 million federal grant research, campus scholars develop new for the Center for the Promotion of knowledge and apply the knowledge Health in the New England Workplace, from their disciplines in innovative ways. one of only three WorkLife Centers for New books of fiction, science, history, visual art Excellence in the United States. and more enrich our culture at the same time the foundation of our culture is explored in I More than $2.3 million from various classrooms. Faculty members in areas as diverse federal and state agencies, as well as as music education, English and business industry, for projects related to clean entrepreneurship have developed a research energy and clean technology – such as niche in the creative economy. Since 2007, solar, wind turbines, healthy homes and workforce development. our faculty have received 20 grants from the UMass President's Creative Economy Initiative, totaling $662,000.
6 Learning with Purpose www.uml.edu 7 COLLABORATION Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center BRINGS RESULTS The 84,000-square-foot ETIC is being funded, in part, with $35 million of economic Researchers have developed development support from the Commonwealth. The state-of-the-art facility, expected expertise across disciplines in to be completed in 2012, will be home to experts in cutting-edge fields including understanding and addressing nanotechnology, plastics engineering, nanomedicine and electro-optics. the challenges of today’s youth. For example:
I Prof. Linda Williams developed new research methods to study teen survivors IN THE SPOTLIGHT: of prostitution and make policy recommendations for police, Susan Braunhut, University Professor, social workers and other caregivers. Biological Sciences Department Among the innovative research I Asst. Prof. Ashleigh Hillier and projects conducted in Susan Braunhut’s her students conduct innovative lab, one seems especially futuristic – research with individuals on the a collaboration funded by the Defense autism spectrum, providing social Advanced Research Projects Agency and vocational skills support to prove human limb regeneration is and mentoring. Data gathered possible. The researchers used advanced has added to the understanding wound-healing techniques to induce of Asperger’s Syndrome. stem cells to grow at the amputation site. The team included specialists from I Prof. Regina Panasuk has conducted Tufts, University of Pittsburgh School a large-scale longitudinal study on of Medicine, Cornell Medical Center, University of Utah and the Wistar students’ algebraic representations, Institute. Braunhut hopes the developing tools that help middle technique will be applied to soldiers school educators make judgments about with limb injuries sustained in Iraq students’ conceptual understanding. and Afghanistan. In addition, she Asst. Prof. Andre Dubus III, best-selling author of works including says, “This could also help solve the I UMass Lowell has received a “The House of Sand and Fog” and “Townie,” does more than teach shortage of organs for transplant.” Sloan-C Award for Most Outstanding creative writing at UMass Lowell. He and his students are just as apt Online Learning and Teaching for to be found deep in a Fiction to Film discussion at the Coolidge Corner its certificate program in behavioral Theater with authors Richard Russo, Susan Orlean and Tom Perrotta as intervention in autism. they are to be engaged in a personal conversation with writer Russell Banks.
8 Learning with Purpose www.uml.edu 9 NURSING HITS THE ROAD Community Engagement
UMass Lowell nursing faculty UMass Lowell embraces community engagement. Students, faculty and staff last year contributed more than 55,000 hours of service are taking recruitment on the to communities as far away as Peru, where villagers needed solar-based technology. Closer to home, they helped residents of a city road in the form of a 34-foot homeless shelter, which relies on volunteers to keep the operation running smoothly. The men’s ice hockey and women’s basketball bus that is home to two teams have partnered with local schools to improve reading skills and encourage youngsters to read. English Department scholars realistic mannequins – birthing bring best-selling authors and the U.S. Poet Laureate to the city for open literary readings. mother “Noelle” and newborn “Hal.” By simulating functions Our students are math mentors in local schools and interns helping to produce downtown cultural festivals. Faculty members lead of the human body such as local non-profit organizations and stock shelves at the local food pantry. Staff members organize disaster relief efforts and serve on breathing, crying, talking and their town government committees. mimicking medical conditions, the high-tech mannequins BROADBAND GRANT BRIDGES ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY offer students a fun and DIGITAL DIVIDE, PROVIDES JOBS For years, senior engineering students have participated in the Assistive intriguing way to find out Technology Program for their capstone projects. They are assigned if the nursing profession is for UMass Lowell used nearly $1 million in U.S. Department of Commerce disabled clients for whom they adapt technology to improve quality of life. them. The bus is funded with and University funds to expand infrastructure and access to broadband Projects have included controllers that helped a quadriplegic client open a U.S. Department of Health internet in the Merrimack Valley. The effort targeted low-wage earners, doors and control the temperature in his apartment, a push-button box and Human Services award immigrants, at-risk youth, the unemployed and seniors – those who are that helped a child with multiple disabilities communicate and of nearly $300,000 to reach often victims of the technology gap that deprives them of equal access an in-shoe sensor that enabled a blind client to walk without a cane. out to diverse and under- to jobs and information. UMass Lowell undergraduate and graduate For the past two years, undergraduates have traveled to India to served populations in the students, along with teens from the United Teen Equality Center, collaborate on assistive technology projects with partner institutions Merrimack Valley. trained clients in computer centers established at community organizations, public housing and senior centers across the city. including the Shri Vishnu Colleges.
10 Learning with Purpose www.uml.edu 11 DIVISION OF ONLINE AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, FastFacts LEADER IN WORLD-READY PROGRAMS • The Carnegie Foundation for Excellence With more than 25,000 enrollments annually, the University’s Division of Online and Continuing in Teaching designated UMass Lowell Education serves as an important educational resource for companies, supporting the region’s a “community-engaged university.” economic development. Corporate training and partnerships have grown significantly over the • In 2009 and 2010, UMass Lowell years as the Division has tailored its portfolio of services to meet the needs of businesses in was named to the President’s Higher today’s global economy. Education Community Service Honor Roll (the second year “with distinction”), STRINGS ATTACHED the most prestigious federal recognition a university can receive for its commitment The String Project was started in 2001 as a collaboration to volunteerism, service learning and between the Lowell Public Schools and UMass Lowell. civic engagement. Through the String Project and its offshoot, String Kids, IN THE SPOTLIGHT: UMass Lowell music majors, professors and guest artists provide instruction to public-school children. The children Robert Giles, University Professor learn to play an instrument and explore music technology, and Chair of the Physics and Applied improvisation, composition and appreciation. Physics Department The String Project, which also provides free concerts Prof. Bob Giles is a worthy role model to the Lowell community, has restored a vital music in the sciences and in life. His title is education component to area public schools and created awarded in recognition of exemplary a musical community for parents, teachers and students teaching, internationally significant in Lowell and beyond. research and extraordinary service to the University community. Giles also devotes personal time and resources MERRIMACK VALLEY SANDBOX GARDEN to humanitarian service and to The Deshpande Foundation committed $5 million to the Merrimack Valley Sandbox, one of only promoting science education in three initiatives of its kind in the world, to support the new Merrimack Valley Center for Innovation Haiti. “I have a passion for research, investigating new ideas, developing and Entrepreneurship at UMass Lowell. The Center provides training and seed funding to The UMass Lowell Center for Arts and novel devices and techniques, budding business leaders and students, training young professionals in Ideas publicizes and promotes cultural activities on campus and in the community. enjoying the process of discovery the non-profit sector, offering existing companies capacity building and and especially including my graduate support and incubating startups in Lowell and Lawrence. One of the first and undergraduate students in this seed grants went to UMass Lowell students who started a community process,” he says. garden on campus. In addition to providing food to the community, the garden helps students understand sustainable, eco-friendly living.
12 Learning with Purpose www.uml.edu 13 The Campus FastFacts Facilities Update UMass Lowell has undergone a spectacular physical transformation over the past Acquired and renovated few years. Two new academic buildings are under construction – one for emerging • UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse (2007) technologies research and another for programs in health and social sciences. Library • UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center (2009) space is being reconfigured to better meet the needs of today’s students. A new • Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell (2010) business school is on the horizon. Renovated existing buildings • Libraries (2011) to include wireless learning commons The University has expanded into the hub of Lowell’s historic mill-and-canal district, for group study opening an inn and conference center that houses 500 students. A downtown civic • Fox Hall for multiple residential floors (2010) and, in 2012, arena has been transformed into a high-end venue for entertainment, conventions dining commons and entrance and River Hawks hockey. UMass Lowell now manages a beautifully renovated Under construction boathouse that hosts women’s rowing, community boating, regattas and events • The Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center, such as the Southeast Asian Water Festival. North Campus: 84,000 square feet for plastics engineering, nanotechnology, electro-optics and biomedicine In addition to acquisistions and new construction, the University is investing • The Health and Social Sciences Building, South Campus: $30 million in campus renewal projects. 69,000 square feet for classrooms, seminar/conference Health and Social Sciences Building The UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center rooms and faculty offices for psychology, criminal justice and nursing departments The energy of new and renewed facilities has inspired an increasingly vibrant campus • University Crossing, formerly St. Joseph’s Hospital (2011), life, even as the University’s academic, cultural and recreational connections with now being renovated the city expand. Projects in planning • 500-bed residence hall on East Campus • New College of Management building on North Campus • North Campus parking garage
14 Emerging Technologies and Innovation Center The Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell www.uml.edu 15 CAMPUS LIFE Campus life is vibrant: 120 student-run clubs,17 varsity sports, dozens of intramural teams, a top-of-the-line recreation center, 10 cafes‘ and restaurants, including national chains like Starbucks, Subway and Taco Bell, and a Division I ice hockey team that competes in Hockey East.
THE PERFECT SEASON 2011 graduate Sammy Macy became the first-ever Division II student-athlete from IN THE SPOTLIGHT: New England – and the first-ever field hockey player – to receive the national Division II Athlete of the Year award. Macy was among the catalysts of UMass Lowell’s 2010 “I loved living at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center downtown. It was season, which saw the River Hawks post a 24-0 record and capture their second NCAA close to restaurants and music, which championship in six years. made it particularly fun for me!” Daisy Ogunedo ’11, Music Education
THE BENEFITS OF RESIDENCE LIFE As a music education major, Daisy was particularly happy to participate in the Currently, more than 3,000 students live in University housing. By 2013, with the UMass Lowell Strings Project, which teaches expected completion of two new residential options, that number will top 4,000, Lowell school children to play violin. and reach a campus goal for a 50 percent residential undergraduate student population. The growth is part of a strategy for improving student success: research shows residential students do better academically, on average, than commuter students.
Sammy Macy
16 www.uml.edu 17 Financial Sustainability UMass Lowell Operating Budget
In recent years, the University has become increasingly entrepreneurial in its approach to raising revenues. From 2007 to 2011, the total amount FY 2000 4% 2% of money raised externally rose by 84 percent. Over the same period, research expenditures increased 63 percent to $59.3 million. 20% UMass Lowell is committed to keeping costs affordable for students despite declining state support for public higher education. Tuition and fees are well below those of comparable private universities and the campus meets 90 percent of the financial need of students. 51%
Supporting our Students While many private institutions cost more than $50,000 per year, UMass Lowell costs just over $20,000 for in-state students who live on campus (tuition, fees, room and board.) Any increase in student costs has been accompanied by an increase in financial aid. In 2011, approximately $119 million in financial aid (a 56 percent increase over 23% a two-year period) was awarded to students, $58 million need-based and $61 million non-need based. Increased merit aid has been supported by vigorous fundraising State Appropriation efforts in order to attract the best students. UMass Lowell offers special tuition Tuition & Fees discounts and support for New England students enrolled in qualifying programs, Grants & Contracts FY 2012 Projected students from Southern New Hampshire and students transferring from Continuing Studies & Residential Life Massachusetts public community colleges. 4% Other 10% FastFacts Division of Online and Continuing Education 25% Fundraising is up 84 percent in four years The University’s Division of Online and Continuing Education (OCE) is expected to produce more than $30 million in revenue this year. OCE continues to average • Since 2007, fundraising (gifts and pledges) grew by $1.3 million in income annually. The Division provides not only a great benefit to $7 million, from $8.2 million to $15.2 million. the economic development of the area, but also an additional revenue stream • The number of endowment funds has increased to for the University. 19% nearly 300. In any Event • More than $5 million in gifts and equipment has been received in support of the Emerging Technologies and The University has developed a growing revenue stream based on its quality venues Innovation Center. and special events services. Gatherings of all sizes can be accommodated at the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, • The Commencement Eve Gala 2011 broke a fundraising the UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse, Wannalancit Mills conference rooms, record, yielding more than $670,000 for student scholarships. Durgin Concert Hall, the Comley-Lane Theater and a variety of University conference, classroom, recreational, athletic and laboratory spaces. 42%
18 Learning with Purpose www.uml.edu 19 UMass Lowell Overview
All numbers are for FY 2011 unless noted Academics Annual Tuition and Fees: Graduate In-State $10,704 UMass Lowell offers 120 undergraduate, 32 master’s Out-of-state $19,804 History and 15 doctoral programs in six colleges. The University of Lowell was created in 1975 through the Student/faculty ratio 14:1 Financial Assistance merger of Lowell State College and Lowell Technological • $119 million awarded in financial aid in 2011 Institute. Each of these predecessor institutions was Classes with fewer than 20 students 50+% • $12,300 average financial aid awarded per student founded in the 1890s. The campus became part of the • 90% average amount of need met University of Massachusetts system in 1991. Faculty members with highest degree in their field 94% Degrees Granted (May 2011) Top Administrators Doctoral 84 Enrollment Master’s 652 Martin T. Meehan, Chancellor Headcount Bachelor’s 1,814 Jacqueline F. Moloney, Executive Vice Chancellor Undergraduates 8,691 Associate’s 21 Ahmed Abdelal, Provost Graduate 3,426 TOTAL 2,571 Edward Chiu, Vice Chancellor for Advancement Online and Cont. Ed. 2,585 Patricia McCafferty, Vice Chancellor of University Relations TOTAL 14,702 Full- and Part-Time Employees Joanne Yestramski, Vice Chancellor of Finance Faculty 644 and Operations Staff 741 Julie Chen, Vice Provost for Research Student Population TOTAL 1,385 Charlotte Mandell, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Undergraduates Graduates Education Students from Massachusetts 91.2% 65.4% Alumni Donald E. Pierson, Vice Provost for Graduate Education Out-of-state Students* 8.8% 34.6% 75,026 (living alumni) Students of color 23% 16.8% 43,697 (Massachusetts residents) Deans Females/males 40/60% 49/51% Kathryn Carter, College of Management Regional Economic Impact Nina Coppens, College of Fine Arts, Humanities *International students included in out-of-state count. • $490M in economic activity in FY10 and Social Sciences • 1,711 jobs created in FY10 Robert Gamache, School of Marine Sciences (inter-campus) Incoming Undergraduates • One of largest employers in region Anita Greenwood, Graduate School of Education Freshmen 1,461 Shortie McKinney, School of Health and Environment Transfers 929 Athletics Robert Tamarin, College of Sciences TOTAL 2,390 NCAA Division II program with Division I ice hockey John Ting, Francis College of Engineering Freshmen (Fall 2011) Varsity Teams Avg. combined SAT score 1114 Avg. GPA 3.26 Women Men Basketball Baseball Percentage living on campus 75% Cross Country Basketball Field Hockey Cross Country Annual Tuition and Fees, Room and Board: Rowing Golf Undergraduates Soccer Ice Hockey (Div. I) In-state $20,817 Softball Soccer Out-of-State $33,256 Track & Field Track & Field (indoor and outdoor) (indoor and outdoor) Volleyball
20 Learning with Purpose www.uml.edu One University Ave. Lowell, MA 01854-3629 www.uml.edu
UMassLowell inanyevent UMassLowell • Meetings inanyevent • Conferences • Dinners and Receptions • Social Gatherings • Special Events/Stage Presentations • Meetings • Athletic Events • Conferences • Corporate Training and Education • Dinners and Receptions • Social Gatherings • Special Events/Stage Presentations • Athletic Events • Corporate Training and Education
For information or reservations, contact the Office of Special Events at [email protected] or (978) 934-3888. The University of Massachusetts Lowell offers some of the best venues in the region for events and Meetings and Conferences Athletic Events gatherings of all sizes. From conferences and conventions to business seminars, athletic and cultural UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell events and small community meetings, UMass Lowell can accommodate your event needs. In the heart of historic Lowell and along the scenic Merrimack River, UMass Lowell’s facilities are in prime locations Wannalancit Mills Building Campus Recreation Center that are easy to reach by major highways and trains from the Boston area. Costello Gymnasium Social Gatherings, Dinners and Receptions Cushing Field Complex Lowell is one of the distinctive destinations in central New England. For more than 100 years, Lowell has been River View Athletic Field UMassLowell a “college town” — and now it is an outstanding “university city” with all the amenities of university life UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse giving the community a vibrant educational and cultural character. UMass Lowell and the city are interwoven Corporate Training and Education inanyevent from the neighborhoods to the beautifully preserved downtown. The city features the prestigious Lowell National Historical Park with its canal boat, trolley and museum tours; the Lowell Spinners’ minor-league Special Events/Stage Presentations UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center Red Sox team and festivals all year. Wannalancit Business Development Center Durgin Concert Hall Campus Recreation Center This brochure describes UMass Lowell’s event spaces, including the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, Comley-Lane Theatre UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse, Durgin Concert Hall and many more. Various University function rooms, classrooms and laboratories UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center
Located along the city’s historic canal systems in the heart of downtown Lowell, the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center has 8,000 square feet of function space, including various outdoor locations and one of the largest ballrooms in the area. The ballroom can accommodate up to 500 guests and space can be customized for groups of various sizes. The function space is equipped with the latest in audio-visual technology. The Inn also offers two floors of guest rooms, a restaurant, lounge and fitness center. The Inn is within walking distance of Lowell National Historical Park and several museums, LeLacheur Park, the Tsongas Center, Lowell Memorial Auditorium, the Merrimack Repertory Theatre and shops, restaurants and historical attractions. To inquire about booking meetings, function space or a guest room, contact Nancy O’Rourke at [email protected] or (978) 934-6917. UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse
The boathouse, which sits on the north bank of the Merrimack River adjacent to Pawtucket Boulevard (Route 113), provides one of the region’s most spectacular views of the waterfront and sunsets. Having recently undergone more than $1 million in renovations, this facility, with its 2,000-square-foot tented deck, is ideal for catering family gatherings, small wedding parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, corporate outings or group retreats. The boathouse can seat 88 for dinner or 200 for a reception. For a photo gallery of the facility, go to www.uml.edu/boathouse. For information or reservations, contact Peter Murray at [email protected] or (978) 934-2327. Durgin Concert Hall Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
Durgin Concert Hall is a 1,000-seat performance venue on South Campus that is home The Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell is a multi-use indoor sports, to the University’s many musical groups. Its flexible thrust stage allows for performances entertainment and convention venue located off Father Morissette by small ensembles to full orchestras. It also has hosted other major events, including Boulevard near downtown Lowell. The Center can seat 6,500 fans candidate debates for a 2007 special congressional election. The Concert Hall is for hockey and up to 7,800 for concerts. It has 30,000 square feet handicapped accessible. of exhibit space, and a lawn area along the Merrimack River can For reservation information, contact the University’s Office of Special Events accommodate 2,500 for outdoor events. Home to the UMass Lowell at [email protected] or (978) 934-3888. hockey team, the Tsongas Center has hosted a variety of concerts, ice shows, circus events, Disney specials, sports tournaments, trade shows and conventions. For information about availability, contact Peter Casey at [email protected] or (978) 934-1966.
Comley-Lane Theatre
Located in Mahoney Hall on South Campus, the 500-seat Comley-Lane Theatre features a proscenium stage, equipped for theatrical presentations, panel discussions and lectures. Home to the University’s Off-Broadway Players, the theatre is also handicapped accessible. For reservation information, contact the University’s Office of Special Events at [email protected] or (978) 934-3888. Cushing Field Complex
The Cushing Field Complex, located along the VFW Parkway adjacent to the University’s North Campus, has new turf and lights for soccer, field hockey, track and other outdoor events. Seating is ample and there is parking adjacent to the facilities. Contact Peter Murray at [email protected] or (978) 934-2327.
Campus Recreation Center
The Recreation Center is a sparkling 65,000-square-foot two-story building of brick, glass and steel on Aiken Street across from LeLacheur Baseball Park on the University’s East Campus. It houses three basketball courts, two racquetball courts, a squash court, a multi-purpose room for activities such as dance and martial arts and a 6,500-foot fitness area. For information about the facilities and their availability, contact Peter Murray at [email protected] or (978) 934-2327.
Costello Athletic Center River View Athletic Field
The gymnasium has a recently renovated basketball This improved softball complex on Broadway Street court with a new floor, new basketball hoops, new on the University’s South Campus offers an impressive scoreboards and new bleachers. The spacious area, view of the Merrimack River. River View is the home which extends beyond the main court, can provide field for the UMass Lowell varsity softball team. five basketball or volleyball courts. The gym also has a 25-meter swimming pool. To obtain details about its availability, contact Peter Murray at [email protected] Contact Amy Lisavich at [email protected] or (978) 934-2327. or (978) 934-3187 for rental information. Corporate Training and Education
The University’s Division of Continuing Studies, Corporate and Distance Education offers seminars, conferences and workshops in many University venues, including the UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center, the Wannalancit Business Development Center, the Campus Recreation Center, the UMass Lowell Bellegarde Boathouse and many of its classrooms and laboratories. Subject matter includes areas such as engineering, health sciences, information technology, management, manufacturing and quality control.
For more information on these programs, contact Joanne Talty, Associate Director of Corporate Education and Conferences, at [email protected] or (978) 934-2144.
Wannalancit Mills Building
The conference center in the majestic Wannalancit Mills offers an ideal location for corporate events. The 2,700-square foot center provides dinner and theatre-style seating for up to 200. It offers state-of-the-art audio-visual services, wireless access and is handi- capped accessible. Steps to downtown Lowell’s many restaurants and tourist attractions, the Wannalancit Mills Building is also close to affordable parking and is a block from the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell.
For information or reservations, contact the Office of Special Events at [email protected] or (978) 934-3888. UMassLowell inanyevent Di Foundation “community engaged campus.” engaged Foundation “community Carnegie a named recently was campus The businesses. and outreach and service learning projects conducted for non-profit organizations organizations non-profit for conducted projects learning service and outreach home to the Lowell Spinners and River Hawk baseball; and a wide range of of range wide a and baseball; Hawk River and Spinners Lowell the to home along Lowell’s legendary canal system; construction of venues like LeLacheur Park, LeLacheur like venues of construction system; canal Lowell’s along legendary and the city have a long history of partnerships that include miles of walkways of miles include that partnerships of history long a have city the and Lowell has been a great college town for more than 100 years. The University years. University 100 The than more for town college great a been has Lowell history that comes alive on the streets – you can find it all in Lowell. Food from around the world, fun festivals, every kind of art and music, scover Check out Check www.uml.edu/guidetolowell
greata Lowell
college town
Office of Undergraduate Admissions Non-Profit Org 883 Broadway, Suite 110 U.S. Postage Lowell, MA 01854 www.uml.edu PAID Lowell, MA Permit No.69
DiscoverLowell
Lowe greata Discover college town ll LIVE IN LOWELL VOLUNTEERISM The UMass Lowell Inn & Conference Center (ICC), There are many outlets in Lowell for students home to more than 350 students, is located in the who want to give back by volunteering. Student- heart of downtown Lowell. Already a coveted athletes have raised money to adopt families University residence, it is becoming the social, during the holidays from Lowell’s House of Hope FOOD cultural and intellectual hub of the city. It offers (www.hopelowell.org). Student organizations VisitEnjoy fine dining or more casual fare Lowell for every taste students easy access to the city’s events and serves participate in fund raising projects every year, and budget. You can choose from: as a venue for activities sponsored by the University like building a cardboard city to raise funds and and organizations throughout the region. awareness about homelessness. • French, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Greek, Italian and others FACULTY-LED PROJECTS • Classic diners, five-star restaurants, coffee houses LEARN IN LOWELL and outdoor caf e s Faculty members weave together initiatives that meet community needs as they supplement the • Live music and entertainment while dining or SERVICE LEARNING academic experience. Music professor Kay Roberts Learning through service is fundamental to many lounging and her students head up the String Project, FESTIVALS academic departments, particularly in the College Music, culture, cinema and more: bringing violin instruction to Lowell Public Schools. Get an overview: www.menupix.com/lowell/ of Engineering (http://slice.uml.edu/). Student Psychology students and Professor Ashleigh Hillier Student favs: www.uml.edu/guidetolowell • Lowell Folk Festival: www.lowellfolkfestival.org involvement ranges from adapting technology to direct several interdisciplinary programs geared improve the quality of life for disabled clients to • Lowell Film Festival: www.lowellfilms.org towards helping individuals with autism. analyzing the temperature of a local housing complex SPORTS • Southeast Asian Water Festival: For a substantial list of such projects, go to: to helping elementary students learn to read. In addition to the River Hawks teams, which include www.lowellwaterfestival.org www.uml.edu/community/Outreach_Programs.html. Div.I ice hockey played against other teams in • Lowell Summer Music Series: Hockey East, you have two local teams to follow: www.lowellsummermusic.org INTERNSHIPS AND CO-OPS • The Lowell Spinners are a Single-A farm team These put the “real world” into a UML education. in the Red Sox system: Internships and co-ops allow students to explore a www.lowellspinners.com HISTORY Get an overview of Lowell as the birthplace of the career, build professional credentials and gain new • The Lowell Devils ice hockey: U.S. industrial revolution and investigate its long skills. Traditional internship locations include health www.lowelldevilshockey.com association with textiles: care facilities, government offices, nonprofits and • Lowell National Historical Park: businesses. Learn more: www.uml.edu/internships. PERFORMANCE www.nps.gov/lowe/index.htm National tours, unique local performers, professional • American Textile History Museum: www.athm.org theater – there’s a lot to choose from: • New England Quilt Museum: UMass Lowell has been designated • Merrimack Repertory Theatre: www.nequiltmuseum.org by the Carnegie Foundation as www.merrimackrep.org a community-engaged campus. MORE INFORMATION: • Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell: A good overview of the city: www.uml.edu/tsongascenter ART James MacNeil Whistler was born in Lowell. Learn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell_ • Angkor Dance Troupe: www.angkordance.org about his work and the work of contemporary artists: Massachusetts • For music, check out: www.lowellrocks.com • Whistler House Museum of Art: A schedule of the city’s cultural events is www.whistlerhouse.org available from the Cultural Organization of • Western Avenue Studios: Lowell (COOL): www.cultureiscool.org www.westernavenuestudios.com • Revolving Museum: www.revolvingmuseum.org Be sure to ride the canal boats and see the museums of the Lowell National Historical Park: • Kerouac Sculpture Park, Bridge St. and Lowell www.nps.gov/LOWE celebrates Kerouac: http://lckorg.tripod.com
For more information on the connections between Office of Undergraduate Admissions STUDENT FAVORITES 883 Broadway, Suite 110 city and campus, see the UML Community To get the student perspective on all the above – Lowell, MA 01854 and more — check out: www.uml.edu/guidetolowell Outreach site: Office of Community and Cultural www.uml.edu Affairs: www.uml.edu/community. 978-934-3931 There’s Something For Everyone! LOWELL FOLK FESTIVAL
The largest free folk festival in the United States, Lowell Folk Festival is a three day event that transforms downtown Lowell on the last weekend in July. The festival is comprised of traditional music, dance, crafts, parades, and a variety of ethnic foods. One can savor the many tastes of Lowell’s ethnic cuisines with local cultural organizations coming together to prepare and sell foods representative of their heritage. Six performance stages are also set up all around downtown Lowell where everything from polka to the blues can be heard. The 2010 Lowell Folk Festival will be taking place July 23-25. For more information visit www. lowellfolkfestival.org. PAUL E. TSONGAS ARENA
The Paul E. Tsongas Arena is just another wonderful addition to the revitalized Lowell business and recreational community. The 8,000-seat arena is home to the University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks ice hockey team and the home to the area’s newest American Hockey League franchise, The Lowell Devils.
The Arena is also well suited to hosting small and mid-size convention-style meetings. Its 30,000 square feet of floor space allows the building to easily accommodate several thousand people. Ample parking is available on site and the Arena is within convenient walking distance to all downtown restaurants and attractions.
MERRIMACK REPERTORY THEATRE
From September-May in Lowell, the Merrimack Valley’s award-winning professional Merrimack Repertory Theatre presents a provocative mix of contemporary productions. MRT engages the talented artists of our country to produce innovative plays that are New- York worthy at less than half the ticket price. MRT productions are a thrill for the senses, creatively engaging, and thoroughly enjoyable for audiences of all ages. Whether you share the experience with friends or family, excellent theatre in the intimate, 308-seat Liberty Hall makes for an unforgettable evening.
LELACHEUR PARK
Home to the Lowell Spinners, the Class A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, and the University of Massachusetts Lowell River Hawks baseball team, LaLacheur Park is a baseball park located on the banks of the Merrimack River in Lowell. It has become a popular destination for tourists and residents of Lowell with the Lowell Spinners having sold out seasons since 2000. The park also offers incredible views of historic Lowell with the red arches of the Aiken Street Bridge, and the historic Lawrence Mills creating an aesthetically pleasing background for a baseball game.
WESTERN AVE STUDIOS
Since opening 31 studio doors to working artists in September of 2005, Western Avenue Studios has become an integral part of the cultural life of the city of Lowell. Since the grand opening the number of working studios has gone from 31 to 143 and bringing the number of artists to more than 215! Western Avenue Studios artists have become part of the Lowell community by participating in the annual citywide Lowell Open Studios and holding monthly First Saturday Open Studios. The summer of 2009 marked the fourth year of the Summer Art Program for children. In 2009, The Space opened its doors, which is providing music rehearsal and recording space and a café. BOARDING HOUSE PARK
Every summer residents and tourists can come together to take pleasure in the Lowell Summer Music Series at Boarding House Park on French Street. With this summer marking their 20th season, it brought famous artists such as the Los Lonely Boys and Blues Traveler. Boarding House Park is also home to one of the six stages at the largest folk festivals in the nation, Lowell’s Folk Festival. The Lowell Summer Series also brings fun and enjoyment to countless children at Boarding House Park with performances by local and regional artists.
LOWELL-DRACUT-TYNGSBORO STATE FOREST
Located in three towns, this 1,140 acre forest and 180 acres of pond, swamps, and wetlands offers recreational activities for both tourists and residents of Massachusetts. The Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest offers six miles of trails for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. WHITE WATER RAFTING ON THE CONCORD RIVER
Come see and experience historic Lowell like you never have before by whitewater rafting on the Concord River. This urban whitewater gem plunges over three class III- IV rapids- Twisted Sister, Three Beauties, and Middlesex Dam. The rafting trip also includes passage through an 1850’s lock chamber that will bring you right into the center of Lowell. The season runs from April to May so come enjoy this unique experience next spring with friends and family!
MERRIMAC RIVER ROWING ASSOCIATION (MRRA)
Located at the Bellegarde Boathouse in the Lowell Heritage State Park the Merrimac River Rowing Association is a non-profit rowing club affiliated with the US Rowing Association. The membership is open to the public. The MRRA hopes to encourage the amateur sport of rowing, both in its competitive and recreational forms, through active rowing, training, regattas, social and organizational participation.
During June and July the MRRA offers 2 eight-session Learn to Scull programs to absolute beginners. These programs have proved very popular and with a limit on the number of participants, early application is recommended. 2 Miles 1 Mile
Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
Strolling along the Riverwalk or the Concord River Greenway, or taking a power run along the historic canals; trail-biking through the Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest or onto the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail; white-water rafting through Class-III rapids in the middle of town — Whatever your outdoor appetite is, Lowell can feed it. 3000 Ft.
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Tsongas Center
Summer concerts at Boardinghouse Park or year-round concerts at the Tsongas Center; gliding down the canals, watching a fielder shag down a fly ball or just watching the city go by at a sidewalk café — However you entertain yourself, Lowell has you covered.