Hamilton Canal Innovation District Garage
New Construction

The Hamilton Canal Innovation District (HCID) in Lowell is part of a major redevelopment effort to breathe new life into the vacant and underused land abutting the city’s historic mills. Rooted in its rich industrial history, Lowell is embracing urban design that respects its past while leaning into future innovation. The HCID parking structure is a critical piece of this redevelopment, supporting offices, residences, and government facilities while preparing for future growth.

The HCID parking structure is a 253,900-square-foot facility that accommodates 900 cars across six elevated levels and one below grade. The garage’s construction involved more than 800 precast concrete components, assembled swiftly over 47 days, even amid challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The structure opened to the public in December 2020, providing much-needed parking to support the neighboring Lowell Justice Center and other redevelopment initiatives.

In its design, the garage balances history and modernity. The form liners used on the façade create dynamic shadows and movement, contrasting with the adjacent historic brick mills. Vibrant metal panels introduce a pop of color, tying the structure to a modern aesthetic while acknowledging its surroundings. The exterior columns along the canal side emulate the vertical rhythm of Lowell’s iconic mill buildings, echoing the brick-lined canyon of the canal. The setback from Canal Place condominiums helps minimize shadow impacts, and a fabric scrim was added for privacy, with a graphic selected by the local community.

With a unique footprint shaped by the site’s constraints, the HCID garage was designed with both functionality and context in mind, paying homage to Lowell’s industrial heritage while contributing to the area’s future.