Longshore’s trees are not the only ones in the news this week.
Renovation of the Levitt Pavilion has finally begun. Part of the Westport Library parking lot is fenced off. Bulldozers are on site.
And a substantial number of trees and bushes — on the Saugatuck River side, and the other other side by Imperial Avenue — have already been turned to pulp.
The new pavilion will look quite a bit different from the old one.
So will the area around it.
Don’t worry about these trees being taken down. The majority of them are invasive species or are poor quality trees that crowd out the more desirable and beautiful native trees. In the past, people who frequented the Levitt Pavilion events had NO sense that they were on a riverfront – the overgrowth blocked every view. The views will now be open and gorgeous and there will be a pedestrian walking path around the perimeter (at least that was the plan that got approvals when I was on the Park & Rec. Commission). It’s so exciting to see the work finally underway.
Don’t forget that this site was once landfill. I have an early photo of the Levitt just after it was built. There was barely a tree on it. The new Levitt will be fantastic. Westport got this one right.
When at the Leavitt the passed few years, I thought I remembered that there had once been views of the river and the space had felt larger and more attractive. Your blog with Frank & Doris Jacoby’s film about Westport prooved me right when it showed the Leavitt years ago – very few trees. I look forward to being able to see the river again!