Friday Funnies Reveal

It was quite interesting to read everyone's comments on the "What is This" construction shown on the most recent post (Friday Funnies) and below.

There was some very interesting feedback. The most popular "guesses" were some sort of walkway/promenade followed by handicapped ramp and even one for a wheelchair races ramp (thanks, David G.) and mini railway (thanks, Boud) and boat dock (thanks, Erika). Several folks admitted that they had no idea.

Yes, this will be a ramp for handicapped access and replaces a metal stairway that had previously been in its place, but was not as long.

Handicap ramp under construction near Cotton Mill apartments

It is adjacent to the Cotton Mill apartment building which is directly across the Nashua River from Clocktower Place mill apartments. Construction is expected to take two years to complete.

This bridge over the Nashua River connects the two mill apartment buildings and is also a walkway for the river walk. This ramp under construction is the second ramp; the first one is shown below.

Ramp and stairway near Clocktower Place apartments

This ↑ ramp and a metal stairway are next to Clocktower Place apartments. Instead of being a straight run, the ramp is a switchback type as there is an access road behind it.

The new ramp is not the only construction that's been going on in the mill yard area in recent weeks. The pocket park area known as Le Parc De Notre Renaissance Française, popularly called French Park or Renaissance Park, is undergoing a complete transformation. A pocket park is a small park accessible to the general public. The locations, elements, and uses of pocket parks vary, the common defining characteristic of a pocket park is its small size. 

Start of construction in Renaissance Park

The first photo above was taken soon after work started and the second photo a day later shows the brickwork, sidewalk and asphalt being taken out.

The boxed item in the photos is this ↑ sculpture (La Dame de Notre Renaissance Française) created by Christopher R. Gowell of a young mill worker and her son. It stood in the center of the park and has been boxed up for protection during reconstruction.

Ongoing construction work at Renaissance Park

The above photo shows what the site looked like last weekend. We will be away for a couple of weeks on our first road trip of 2024 and expect it will look much different by the time we're home.

A conceptual design of a renovated Renaissance Park

According to project plans, the renovations to Renaissance Park will include a permanent performance space and more recreational opportunities.The projects are part of the Downtown Riverfront Master Plan, which is part of the Imagine Nashua Master Plan. Estimates of the total cost of the renovation projects ranges from $13.6 million to $19 million. 

Living so close to this renovated park, a short walking distance from the mill apartments, we're looking forward to its completion, hopefully within the next few months.

We're away on our first 2024 road trip, which will include stays in Maine (Brunswick and Bar Harbor) before continuing to Saint John in New Brunswick and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. In ME, we'll re-connect with former VA friends and celebrate our 1st date anniversary (27 years ago). In Canada, we're meeting fellow bloggers for the first time. While I'll be reading blog posts while on our travels; commenting will be limited until we return home. Any blogger(s) within these areas, who are interested in meeting, please contact us via the blog email as we're checking email along the way.