A $25,000 study is underway to redevelop the Riverside Avenue shelter area across from the MBTA bus stop in Medford Square.

The study is part of the city’s application for grant funding through the Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which provides up to 50 percent of project costs for the redevelopment of park, recreation or conservation areas.

Medford Community Development Director Lauren DiLorenzo said the city hopes to create an active, usable space that would host various activities and programming.

“[Mayor Stephanie Muccini Burke] has mentioned her commitment to Medford Square,” DiLorenzo said. “And I think this space has been identified as something that needs improvement, that we would like to improve.”

In December 2014, City Councilor Michael Marks urged city administrators to find a better use for the shelter, which had paint peeling off its exterior and gutters hanging out of place. Marks said he had never seen any passengers waiting for a bus under the shelter and suggested the city redevelop the space to host an art gallery or other activities.

On Jan. 19, Medford’s Linkage Trustees voted to allocate $25,000 from the city’s Park Linkage Fees account to fund an initial study for capital improvements to the area. Before the vote, the account had a balance of $329,995.

The city then hired urban design firm Crosby Schlessinger Smallridge LLC (CSS) to develop conceptual designs for a “plaza” that would replace the bus shelter and existing brick-paved section next to the Salem Street Burying Ground.

The consultant is in the process of drafting designs for the space in advance of the Feb. 11 grant application deadline.

LWCF grants provide up to $250,000 in funding to municipalities and are administered by states on behalf of the National Park Service. According to the grant application, the program is intended to create and maintain a legacy of high-quality recreation areas across the country.

According to CSS’ website, the company will also “determine links to Medford’s riverfront parklands” that could be developed as part of the project.

DiLorenzo said the city has a meeting scheduled with representatives from the Medford Arts Council, Medford Farmers Market and Medford Coalition for Arts, Culture and a Healthy Economy (CACHE) to discuss future activities at the space.

As part of its grant application, the city is also hosting a public meeting to solicit input for redevelopment of the space.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at the Howard F. Alden Memorial Auditorium, Medford City Hall, 85 George P Hassett Drive.

— For more information, contact Clodagh Stoker-Long at 781-393-2480 or cstokerlong@medford.org.