There's a lot to cheer in plans for a redevelopment of mill space on Island and Union streets in Lawrence. The plan by Lawrence CommunityWorks and a pair of mill owners promises new, affordable housing within the reach of city residents as well as a beautiful new look for the area.

The plan for Union Crossing takes the Southwick Clothing factory on Island Street and the Duck Mill on Union Street and remakes them into a combination of housing, shops, parks and parking. The $75 million project includes 150 apartments, a day-care center, retail shops, high-tech companies and possibly a satellite campus for a college.

Southwick, the premium and custom suit manufacturer, is moving to another location in the Merrimack Valley.

The ambitious goal of the project is to create a new neighborhood in the city. That takes Union Crossing beyond a typical mill redevelopment.

In addition to the nonprofit Lawrence CommunityWorks, backers of the project include mill owners Chet and Gary Sidell and Juan and Luis Yepez. The Sidells, a father and son team, already have done impressive work remodeling mill space along Union and Canal streets. The Yepez brothers are also working on the redevelopment of a mill at 25 Marston St.

The plans are impressive. They include apartments in one of the buildings fronting the Merrimack River built off a wide interior corridor lit by skylights above. The feel is more like a neighborhood than the interior of an apartment building.

A building fronting on Union Street will offer commercial and office space including incubator space for small start-up companies.

The Duck Mill across Union Street will be converted to apartments over commercial and retail space on the first floor.

The exterior spaces surrounding the building will be landscaped with trees, grassy areas, walkways and a bridge over the North Canal to Canal Street.

This project is a long-term commitment by its developers to the future of Lawrence. The potential is great — a beautiful new section of the city connected to the Gateway area and linked to other redevelopment projects along the North Canal and on the south side of the river.

We encourage the City Council and the administration of Mayor Michael Sullivan to do what is needed on the city's part to shepherd this project along.