UMass Lowell has expanded its partnership with Northern Essex Community College and the city of Haverhill by placing a satellite campus for the university in downtown Haverhill. A satellite campus is a site owned by a university which is located away from the main campus. This one will be located on the second and third floors of Harbor Place, a new building located on the Merrimack River waterfront which will open in late 2016.

The Harbor Place project was designed to improve Haverhill’s downtown economy and restore it to its former glory. Former UMass president Robert Caret saw this as an opportunity to reach students in Haverhill, a city that provides a significant number of UMass Lowell students. According to a press release by the city of Haverhill, “more than 2,000 UMass Lowell students, faculty, staff and alumni hail from Haverhill and surrounding communities.”

The satellite campus in downtown Haverhill will accommodate Haverhill students who wish to continue their education at UMass Lowell without having to deal with the hassle of commuting to Lowell.

Harbor Place’s campus will be located just over twenty miles from UMass Lowell’s North Campus. I-495 North is known to be clogged with commuters trying to get to work in the morning, so attending classes at the Harbor Place campus could save Haverhill students a significant amount of time commuting while also allowing them to save money on gas.

“I would consider going to the new satellite campus. It’s a lot more convenient for me, since I live so close and could stay at home,” said Ryan Foucault, a freshman at NECC and a resident of Haverhill.

The partnership between Northern Essex Community College and UMass Lowell has served to benefit both institutions. Since 2012, UMass Lowell has offered courses at NECC that count as credits that could be transferred over. NECC students can continue their education at UMass Lowell after obtaining their associate’s degrees and earn a bachelor’s degree in two years. The new satellite campus will facilitate that for students.

State Representative Brian Dempsey, an alumnus of UMass Lowell, noted that Haverhill was an ideal location for a UMass Lowell satellite campus. He could not be reached in person, but offered his thoughts in an email interview.

“A significant number of UMass Lowell students are from the greater Haverhill area and NECC in Haverhill is the university’s second largest feeder of students. UMass Lowell’s existing partnership with NECC, the accessibility for current students, as well the vibrancy and amenities that downtown Haverhill provides made Harbor Place a perfect location [for a satellite campus],” said Representative Dempsey.

Representative Dempsey worked closely with UMass Lowell and The Greater Haverhill Foundation to make the Harbor Place satellite campus a reality. Although the project took years to come to fruition, the construction of the building has happened incredibly quickly.

Haverhill residents marveled at how fast the construction has been.

“Every time I see [Harbor Place], it seems to be more and more complete,” said Matt Hayes, freshman at UMass Lowell and Haverhill native.

The completion of the building will yield tremendous results for both the university and the city of Haverhill. The university will have more students under its wing, and the city of Haverhill gets to enjoy having students in its downtown, which is slowly becoming as vibrant as it used to be.

Since the urban renewal period of the 1970s and the years of economic disparity that followed, Haverhill has been making steady improvements. Small businesses have flourished in downtown. The art scene has blossomed. Rundown mills have been transformed into condominiums. The Merrimack River is cleaner than it has been in years.

Tearing down the Woolworth Building, which stood vacant for over forty years, and replacing the massive lot with Harbor Place is a symbol of rebirth for the city. Once again, Haverhill can reclaim its crown as the Queen Slipper City.

“While we do have NECC in Haverhill, the UMass Lowell building offers a variety of schools in the area. For students that quite unjustly look down on a community college choice, and those that don’t want to or can’t afford to dorm on campus can enjoy the benefits of college in a more local building to them… Our city is great, no matter what people say, and a UMass Lowell building here would make it even better,” said Hayes.