UMass Lowell wants to make the city a destination with a new rink and hotel

Local News

The projects build on a larger effort to link innovation companies with students to drive economic expansion.

UMass Lowell is pitching big plans to boost activity in the Mill City, announcing a new ice rink and hotel designed to draw more students, residents, and visitors to Lowell.

“It’s critical to activate these kinds of ecosystems,” said Anne Maglia, the vice chancellor for research and innovation at UMass Lowell. “It can’t just be businesses. It can’t just be housing. It can’t just be education. It has to be all of that plus entertainment.” 

The projects are part of the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor, a long-term plan UMass Lowell is developing with city, state, and private partners to shape the community’s future.

One of the goals of the LINC plan is to increase the Tsongas Center’s capacity for additional conferences, meetings, and events. 

With a second space, the team can practice elsewhere, freeing up the main space for conferences, concerts, and trade shows. Maglia added that there is a significant demand for ice rinks in the area. 

In addition, Lowell has no hotels downtown, making it a hassle whenever someone comes to visit the campus, whether for graduation, tours, or conferences. 

“Hopefully, this will bring in additional folks, too,” said Magilia. “Once they get here, hopefully they’ll see how awesome Lowell is and want to stay.” 

The university will be issuing a request for proposals this month. The move comes after the plans received an affirmative vote by the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees in December. 

“We want to make our version of Kendall Square,” Chancellor Julie Chen told the Boston Business Journal. “If you think Boston and Cambridge are too expensive you can move to the Greater Lowell area.”

More details about the project, including the cost and timeline, depend on the selected proposal and the developer. But the LINC plans are already underway, bringing benefits to the city. 

The Lowell Spinners — at one time a Class A Red Sox affiliate — are returning to LeLacheur Park starting in the summer of 2026 as part of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League after a six-year absence. 

Maine’s Sea Dog Brewing is also opening up a new location on Cabot Street. 

For many years, UMass Lowell has collaborated with industry partners. For example, Raytheon has co-located in one of the university’s buildings, taking up an entire floor. Another building has a mass medical device development incubator with several companies. 

“It’s been a part of the DNA for a long time,” said Maglia. 

But in recent years, school leadership has sought to ramp up these partnerships, especially as funding for research remains uncertain. The school also wants to continue to guarantee students paid, career-connected experiences. 

Companies such as the engineering firm Weston & Sampson, Trident Agriculture, Liberty Mutual, and National Grid have all partnered with the school. 

“This really is coalescing all of that to come together to say, ‘Let’s see what we can do in a public-private partnership to start activating this ecosystem,’” said Maglia. 

Beth Treffeisen is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on local news, crime, and business in the New England region.