At Long Last, New Greenway Trail In Stamford Will Be Built

STAMFORD, CT — At long last, the City of Stamford broke ground on Phase II of the Mill River Collaborative’s Greenway Project on Thursday morning.

The phase includes the creation of a continuous bicycle/pedestrian trail along the Mill River. The 12-foot wide, multi-use, lighted greenway trail will extend 2,300 feet from Green Street up to the southern border of Scalzi Park.

There will also be a pedestrian bridge, sidewalk reconstruction, native landscaping and stormwater management improvements. Drainage improvements will capture school parking lot stormwater and filter it via rain gardens and a vegetated swale before entering the river.

The project will cost about $2.6 million. Eighty percent will be funded by the Federal Highway Administration, and 20 percent will come from Stamford. It's expected to be completed by winter 2022/2023.

Several members of the community who have been involved in conceiving the project were in attendance for the groundbreaking, which occurred at the corner of Green Street and Hanrahan Street.

After the Mill River Corridor Plan was prepared in 1998, and later the Mill River Park Master Plan was developed, the Mill River Park project was front and center.

Over the years, improvements have been made to the park, such as the construction of a carousel, ice skating rink/fountain, and the current construction of the Discovery Center. There has also been an environmental restoration of the river and riparian corridor, and completed portions of the trail on both sides of Mill River.

Groundbreaking for Phase I took place in 2011, and it took some time to get Phase II approved

Four years ago, the city was able to repurpose federal money for Phase II to help move it along, Stein said.

"This is something we're very excited to see happen," Stein added. "This really ties into the community."

Martin, who rode his bicycle to the groundbreaking ceremony, noted that the project has been "a long time coming."

"This bike trail will help us connect," he said, thanking all those involved who helped make the project come to fruition. "We need to connect our community not just with automobiles, we need to get connected in a way that pedestrians and bicyclists can enjoy what we have to offer."

Martin said the trail is part of a "comprehensive vision" to connect parks at the southernmost end of the city all the way up to Scalzi Park, and at some point in the future, beyond.

From Green Street, the greenway trail will extend up West North Street behind Hart Elementary School and Nemoitin Park.

It will share the emergency access driveway behind Cloonan Middle School, and follow the existing paved trail from Cloonan to Scalzi. J.M. Wright Technical School will be adjacent to the trail, and UConn Stamford will be a block away at the end.

The close proximity to several city schools is a key component of the greenway trail, officials said.

"We are always trying to find safe routes to school, and this just gives us an opportunity not only to get our children to school safely, but on the weekends, having the opportunity for them to be able to walk and run and ride their bikes makes a huge difference. I'm very excited about this opportunity," said Dr. Tamu Lucero, Superintendent of Stamford Public Schools.

"After a long pandemic, our kids need to be outside, getting fresh air and not playing video games or being inside. This is such a great time and opportunity for us," she added.

Arthur Selkowitz, Board Chair of the Mill River Park Collaborative, said the ability to bring students into the park right in their backyard will be impactful.

"There's been a lot of evidence that experiential learning is the best kind of learning, so bringing kids into the park, bringing them to the riverside, is just an amazing opportunity for our kids," he said, noting that the city is looking to possibly build an outdoor classroom in the park.

Selkowitz predicted that in the next three to five years, the city will be able to connect Scalzi Park to Harbor Point on a continuous greenway.

"We have a lot to look forward to," he said.