Shawmut is also working closely with the City on alterations to the parking garage design that will make it more affordable. The largest changes will be the elimination of one underground level and making each level slightly shorter, in order to add an additional above ground level. The redesign's goal is to lose as few spaces as possible while staying as close to the form-based code requirements as possible and maintaining the high architectural quality of the original design.

Finally, VHB, Inc. is completing the final construction drawings for the Lord Overpass project. The concept was discussed and vetted by the community through 20 public meetings and the engineer has since been working on details such as locating the utilities and creating drawings for the retaining walls and railings. The City expects that the construction drawings will be complete in the next several weeks. The City hopes to advertise the project in May. Because of a lengthy contracting and mobilization process, construction would not begin until the fall, depending on weather conditions.

The contractor will be expected to provide a traffic management plan and the City will share those updates as soon as it has them.

The new Lord Overpass will have roughly the same vehicular capacity as the current junction but it will have new advantages of allowing right and left turns into the Hamilton Canal Innovation District at Jackson Street, dedicated bus/emergency vehicle lanes, easier and more comfortable pedestrian crossings into downtown, separated bike paths connected to the multi-use trail at South Common, and synchronized traffic signals.