Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, along with city officials, representatives from T-Mobile and other community members celebrated a grant to help light up downtown.
Reminder Publishing photo by Ryan Feyre
NORTHAMPTON — On April 10, the city of Northampton celebrated a $50,000 grant they received from T-Mobile to install an artistic LED lighting system on the railway underpass in downtown Northampton.
According to an announcement from the city, the funding will help complete the city’s ongoing installation of an LED lighting system on the pedestrian and train overpasses on Main Street as part of the city’s Local Rapid Recovery Plan, which was conceived in response to COVID-19.
The grant reward contributes to a broader two-phase bridge lights project over Main Street that the city has been working on the past couple of years to help bring more economic vitality to the downtown area and enhance the physical connection between Main Street and the lower Main Street area known as Paradise East.
“This is a really exciting project for us that is bridging one part of Main Street with another part of Main Street and literally lighting up and making more vibrant our downtown,” said Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, during a gathering on April 10 at City Hall to celebrate the grant. We’re really excited about how this is going to welcome people and get them excited about moving through this space and joining both parts of our Main Street and just making our beautiful downtown even brighter and wider and longer.”
The grant from T-Mobile is part of the company’s Hometown Grants initiative, which supports community development initiatives across infrastructure, technology, environment and more. Northampton is the first city in Massachusetts to receive such a grant.
According to Teresa Brockriede, the sustainability project manager for Northampton, the project is expected to be officially completed by May in time for the city’s Summer on Strong.
Brockriede added that the lights will be able to be programmed throughout the seasons according to holidays and celebrations happening in the community.
“To connect these two parts of Main Street is something we’re really proud of,” Brockriede said.
The grant celebration on April 10 featured Sciarra, Ward 1 City Councilor Stan Moulton, members of Northampton’s Planning and Sustainability department, members of the Friends of Northampton Trails, representatives from T-Mobile and other community members and city officials.
Readers can learn more about the bridge lighting project by reading previous Reminder Publishing coverage at thereminder.com/localnews/northampton/lights-aim-for-more-economic-vitality-in-downtown-.
