Peabody Revives 20-Year-Old Plan For River Walk

PEABODY, MA -- City Council approved an application for a grant to purchase of 24 Caller Street, allowing the city to move forward with plans to build a river walk along the river heading into Salem. The plan was first conceived two decades ago by former Mayor Peter Torigian, who envisioned a river walk with a pedestrian pathway, landscaping, benches and access to shops, restaurants, studios and housing.

Mayor Ted Bettencourt asked city council to approve the application for the grant, according to the Salem News, which first reported this story. "I think the RiverWalk would be a tremendous asset to the city and to the downtown," Ward 2 Councilor Peter McGinn told the newspaper. "(Purchasing the property) would be a significant step towards advancing that plan."

Bettencourt told city council the city would only move forward with the property acquisition if the Division of Conservation Services grant is awarded to Peabody.

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Peabody Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo by Evan Noce.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).