Performance center, amphitheater, restaurants, retail shops, hotel, recreation, among proposals for Fall River waterfront

UMass Dartmouth students submitted some exciting plans to city administration for the Davol Street and Route 79 project in Fall River.

According to UMass Dartmouth’s Kelsey Healey, UMass Dartmouth students from the College of Engineering and the College of Visual and Performing Arts gathered at the Fall River Government Center with city officials to present their proposals for the Fall River waterfront.

Davol Street and Route 79 run along the Taunton Riverfront in Fall River. Currently, access between the neighborhoods and the waterfront is limited and the corridor lacks bicycle accommodations. MassDOT is redesigning the mile-long corridor to improve mobility, connectivity, and safety along and across Route 79 and Davol Street. The corridor will be transformed into a multi-modal urban boulevard, connecting the neighborhoods to the Taunton River while promoting economic growth by creating new development parcels to contribute to economic development.

Among the student proposals for the 4 parcels of land are a performing arts center, an amphitheater, festival space, art studios, restaurants, gardens and green space, retail shops, a boutique hotel, outdoor recreation areas, and more. The submissions also took under consideration how Instagram-worthy murals and photo opportunities could help market the space and attract visitors.

Students also took into account climate change by proposing measures such as green roofs, solar panels, and rainwater collection.

Presentations featured detailed visualizations of their designs, including video walkthroughs which are featured throughout this article.