Cogswell Park is small triangular green space with beautiful old trees. Sitting near the infamous willow tree intersection, this small park is at the crossroads of many important neighborhoods for our city. This green space in many ways acts as a gateway to the Quinpool district for people coming across the commons from the North End, driving from the downtown, and south from Windsor.
The park will play a role in the active transit network with bike paths on Windsor, leading to shopping areas, connections to the commons trails and nearby bike routes to downtown along Bell Road. Being steps from Quinpool’s many businesses, existing residential neighborhoods and with development set to be built on all but one side, it has become abundantly clear that a plan is needed to address its role for the different aspects of the thriving community around it. As a green space, a place of transit between neighborhoods, a place to spend time with friends and family, to see art, host an event, bring lunch, and simply a space to stop and breath the fresh air.
Cogswell Park has remained somewhat of a lost space, and not perceived as the special place that it is! This project seeks community involvement at every stage to help give it a new life and ensure that we hold on to what makes it unique. Special consideration and consultation has occurred to make this park suitable for all ages and abilities, specifically seniors with mobility issues. It will also entice more cyclists to use the active transit network that surrounds the park, thus stimulating economic growth in the Quinpool commercial district.
WHERE WE ARE NOW
We have extensively engaged the community to develop the design for the Park, which includes an accessible boardwalk, winding bench, tree lighting and power for events and programming in the Park.
The Boardwalk
The boardwalk follows the well-established desire lines that cut through the park, from the corner of Parker and Welsford to Windsor, where it aligns with the multi-use path leading to the Quinpool Superstore area. The boardwalk is purposefully designed to be more than just a path, a place, with integrated seating and lighting it becomes an inviting place to pause, rest with your groceries, catch up with a neighbour, a safe place to be at night, a place to sit and watch your kids play and adds to the visual appeal of this rapidly growing neighbourhood.
Power
Providing power and light has the potential to drastically change Cogswell Park. The power connection will be used to light the trees, bench, boardwalk and will support a variety of new uses and events to occur in the park, such as markets, Nocturne, art installations, seasonal festivities, music and other performances. The installation of power has been completed and is already being used to power twinkle lights in many of the tress along Windsor Street.
