Jennifer Myers in today’s SUN reports on the latest step in the City of Lowell’s effort to redevelop the Smith Baker Center on Merrimack Street near City Hall. Kudos to the SUN for making this Page One news. Her Facebook page has additional comments also.

Allen Ginsberg and friends reading poems in the Smith Baker Center, June 1988. Note that this is a side view of the upper floor church hall, which was filled with more than 1,000 people on this night. Poet Michael McClure later said that it was the most important poetry reading in America that year. McClure performed with Ray Manzarek (formerly of The Doors), and the readers included Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gregory Corso, John Weiners, and others.  [photo (c) by George Koumantzelis]