Plan advances to transform city parking lot to ballpark entryway

WORCESTER - The Off-Street Parking Board voted Thursday to transfer control of the General Pickett Municipal Parking Lot on Green Street to the city manager.

The 65-space parking lot at 45 Green St. is on the south side of the railroad underpass that leads into the Canal District. It is to be incorporated in the ballpark project near Kelley Square.

The plans are to renovate the lot into a pedestrian-friendly park and plaza that will serve as one of the main entrances to the Polar Park ballpark. It will be linked to the ballpark by extending Summit Street, which runs between Ash and Gold streets, north to the Pickett lot.

To make that possible, the WRA has acquired several properties in the area of Gold, Plymouth and Washington streets.

Under a letter of intent that Pawtucket Red Sox officials signed with the city last year to move the team to Worcester in 2021, the team will be permitted to use a portion of Summit Street as an "Inside Ballpark" street fair promenade in connection with all home games and some other ballpark events.

It will feature vendors and other offerings, much like the fan experience the Boston Red Sox provide on Jersey Street for their home games at Fenway Park.

Last week, the Worcester Redevelopment Authority board approved a $131,354 contract amendment in its design services agreement with the ballpark project architect, D'Agostino Izzo & Quirk Architects Inc., for landscaping work to convert the Pickett parking lot into a park and plaza.

Mark Kostovski, the city's parking manager, said it is expected the parking lot will be closed in the fall.

"We will keep it open as long as we can," he said.

The parking lot is used primarily by motorists with monthly parking passes. It also has nine metered spots, two spots dedicated for Zipcars and two handicapped parking spots.

Mr. Kostovski said the monthly parkers at the Pickett lot will be relocated within the city's parking system. Because many of the monthly parkers are City Hall employees, one spot under consideration is the Federal Plaza municipal parking garage.

The Pickett lot has operated in the red the past three fiscal years.

According to financial numbers provided to the Off-Street Parking Board, the lot generated $15,830 in revenue for the fiscal year that ended June 30, while its operating expenses were $17,234, resulting in a $1,403 loss. The lot finished $830 in the red in fiscal 2018 and $3,693 in the red in fiscal 2017.