Lowell Downtown Neighborhood Association
March 2026 Minutes
Ken called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm on March 23rd, 2026.
The meeting began with introductions from the new members of the board.
⁃ Ken Michienzi – President Runs the Lowell General Store downtown
⁃ John Hawkins – Co-vice President, downtown Lowell resident for 15 years
⁃ Bob Casey – Co-vice president
⁃ Dominic (Dom) Serge – Treasurer. Lowell downtown resident for coming up
3 years.
⁃ Abiola Laniyonu – Secretary resident of downtown Lowell for a few years
Treasurer report (Dom) – we had a single transaction – a $1k check for the DCR
donation for the Victoria Park project. The current account balance: $1,314.29.
We have a couple of in-flight projects including:
⁃ Transitioning the signers of the account to the newly elected treasurer
⁃ Acquiring a new tax (EIN) number
⁃ Opening a new bank account for the organization (moving from Enterprise/
Rockland to Eastern Bank)
Police Report (Captain Demaris)
⁃ New dashboard for residents to review crime stats in Lowell –
lowellpolice.org
⁃ Downtown bike riding: LPD is planning 1 or 2 bike safety operations in the
spring to discourage aggressive bike riding downtown.
⁃ Broken windows downtown: There was a spike in broken windows on
Merrimack Street and John Street (10 incidents in 10 days). Police are
investigating. 4 or 5 incidents were around National Guard recruitment
centers. Nighttime unit will spend more time in downtown patrols
⁃ B&E of motor vehicles: spike in breaking and entering of motor vehicles in
February and first few days of March. Police have charged 3 individuals so
far. Out of 12 vehicles broken into, 9 were unlocked. Recommendation –
lock your cars and do not store valuables in your car.
⁃ Brief discussion of other incidents reported to police (assault, disorderly
conduct, shoplifting).
Police Q&A
⁃ Alleged incident in early March with a bouncer assaulting a patron at the
Blue Shamrock
⁃ A resident requested for additional police presence and patrols downtown
at night in the dark. LPD confirmed the police patrol downtown and
recommended if the resident sees something that doesn’t seem right, call
the police. LPD works with residence and businesses on lighting but has
limited ability to improve lighting on private property
⁃ A resident described an incident involving kids and an alleged air-soft rifle.
LPD recommended making a report to the police if you become aware of a
crime, so they can investigate it.
⁃ A resident asked about people who feel afraid or uncomfortable calling the
police. LPD suggested making an anonymous complaint in that case.
Victoria Park Project update (Bob Casey)
⁃ LDNA has applied for funding from Community Preservation Act to improve
the benches and general condition of the park
⁃ CPA approved funding last month, on to City Council for approval
⁃ Lots of help and support on this project from DCR
⁃ Note: We are the only neighborhood association, and only 1 of 2 projects
for outdoor/recreational space, submitted for review for CPA funds
⁃ Approximate price: $27k for the benches
Update on the canals (Steve Cerand)
⁃ Lowell downtown canals have been refilled with water
⁃ There were a few roadblocks and issues that left the canals dry for so-long,
including the Central Street bridge project, a sinkhole near the penstocks
on the Easter Canal near the Concord river (by the MCC library), a water
main break, and foundation work at the Boott Mill
LDNA 2025 survey of constituents (John Hawkins)
⁃ LDNA 2025 survey of constituents – link
⁃ Please fill out the survey to help the board learn how best to serve the
organization
⁃ 25 responses so far, mostly from downtown residents
⁃ Identified themes so far – public safety, cleanliness, housing, and improved
communication (outreach and visibility)
⁃ By next month, we hope to compile statistically valid results
City Councilor Update (Sean McDonough)
⁃ Business Improvement District (BID) – informational motion on this
week’s city council agenda. Downtown residents should learn more about
the BID and form an opinion on it. A BID would assess a small tax on
landowners in the district and that money, along with a contribution from
the city, would be put in to improving downtown. A non-profit board would
be elected to manage the BID and spend the funds to improve downtown.
Who is eligible to vote for and serve on the board of the BID was the topic
of discussion. Sean pointed out that the city council can influence the
eligibility criteria for board members, which can significantly shape the
direction the board takes, and can approve or decline to approve the
creation of the BID. There was a discussion of the pros and cons of a
downtown BID, and residents looked forward to learning more.
⁃ UMass Lowell and the park behind the Tsongas Center – UMass Lowell
has plans to expand the Tsongas Center and to build a new hotel and
convention center, which would impact the park between the Tsongas
Center and the riverwalk. The association discussed the relationship
between the University and downtown residents and the potential loss of
accessible green space for downtown residents.
⁃ Economic development in Lowell – The update on the green space
sparked a more general conversation about the impact of development
(Hamilton Canal district, LINC, UMass Lowell conference center, etc.) on
economic conditions in the city and the quality of residential life. The
association discussed the potential for community benefits agreements or
tax incentives to distribute the benefits and costs of economic
development
⁃ Lupoli and the Senior Center – There was a brief conversation about
recent developments on the Senior Center and the city’s relationship with
the owner/developer. In general, residents expressed the desire for more
transparency, consistency, and protection of city interests when the city
enters into a partnership with a private developer. There was also a brief
conversation seeking clarity on the role of the city auditor, and who should
provide oversight for partnerships.
The meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm