It’s been six years in the making, but plans for the Baltic Green to be used as a creative green space are finally materialising.
Baltic Triangle director, Tristan Brady-Jacobs, has been campaigning for the area bordered by Kitchen Street, Jamaica Street, St James Street and Bridgewater Street, to be used as an urban park and as a resource for the local community. WARPLiverpool (Tristan’s charity dedicated to providing spaces for creatives in post-industrial areas) is working with the council to develop the area. The Baltic Green will serve 3 purposes:
- As a rest area for those who work in the Baltic
- As a social and creative space for residents of the baltic and the neighbouring L1 community who currently don’t have a green
- As a landmark for visitors and tourists, who are walking to the Baltic Triangle from Tristan said, “I want this to be a signpost that says ‘you are here in the Baltic’.”
As well as providing a welcome green area amongst the post-industrial architecture of the Baltic, the Baltic Green would serve as a creative space to host events, fairs and markets. Diverse events from music festivals to creative workshops with local primary schools are all possible ideas for how the green could be used. Crucially, it is up to members of the baltic community on how they want their green space to be used.
The Baltic Community coming together once again
Architecture firm Studio RBA who are not based in the Baltic but have generously donated their time and created an impressive 3D fly- through, which really brings to life a potential future for the Baltic Green. Tristan however is insistent that this is just one vision for how the area may look. He said, “I don’t want to impose; I want ideas to come from the community.”
With the go ahead from the council all the Baltic Green needs now to flourish is people to volunteer their time, resources, and most crucially, money. Currently, £100 for liability (insurance for events run on the green) needs to be raised monthly. Any money donated on top of that would go towards events starting in the spring. There is a great opportunity for businesses to put their name towards a project that is really going to enrich this community.
Tristan said:
“Green spaces are vitally important in cities – they improve mental and physical well- being. With the closure of Greenland Street, this is the last green space in the area and we must protect it.”
Anyone wishing to donate or volunteer can get in touch with Tristan at trisbj@gmail.com or can visit @socialgreentriangle on Facebook.
