by Vesna Maneva
In March, the federal government approved a set of appropriation bills with $426 million in infrastructure funding for the state of Maine, including $5 million for a pair of unique riverfront revitalization projects in the city of Lewiston. The funding includes $3.9 million for a pilot project to reimagine the city’s historic canal system as a community asset with adjacent park amenities, as well as $1.1 million to reconstruct Beech Street to improve access to the city’s waterfront park, Simard-Payne Park, and to an adjacent future museum.
Both projects are poised to become focal points in Lewiston’s Riverfront Island, a historic industrial district that the city is actively working on transforming into a live-work-play neighborhood. The vision for this transformation is laid out in Lewiston’s Riverfront Island Master Plan (RIMP) Update, adopted in May of 2023. Developed in a year-long collaboration between the city, local stakeholders, and consultant team led by Halvorson | Tighe & Bond Studio, the plan celebrates Lewiston’s historic connection to the Androscoggin River while embracing opportunities for economic development and new public spaces.
The Beech Street extension, along with the planned community pavilion, adventure playground, and upgraded event amenities, will enable the revitalization of Simard-Payne Park as a community destination.
The consultant team included Halvorson’s landscape architects, Tighe & Bond’s transportation planners, Innes Associates for zoning and planning policy, and RKG associates for market analysis – each contributing to a plan that balances aspirational vision with technical solutions. Building upon the previous (2012) master plan for the area, the new plan includes concepts for expanded multi-modal connections, changes to the area’s zoning code, and plans that integrate Lewiston’s scenic riverfront, parks and open spaces, and the historic canals.
The Lower Canal/Oxford Street pilot project was among the top-priority projects identified in the RIMP Update. The funding for this pilot project will reveal the currently overgrown canal edges and reconfigure the adjacent roadway to create a canal walk with seating, lighting, overlooks, and bank-stabilizing vegetation. The pilot will also create “canal steps” from the park side of the canal down to water, enabling direct access to the water for events and recreation opportunities that could include kayaking and skating.
The steps to the water will allow access to Lower Canal for events and recreational opportunities.
The Beech Street reconstruction project will improve access to Simard-Payne Park and the adjacent future site of the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning, and Labor (Maine MILL). By extending Beech Street and creating a turnaround at the end of the road, the project will allow emergency access, facilitate the expanded use of the park for large events, and improve parking for park and museum visitors.
The success of the RIMP Update has been predicated upon deep engagement between the community, city, and consultant team to produce forward-thinking yet implementable ideas. By including a prioritized order of project realization, the plan helps the city focus its resources for improvements while pursuing additional funding sources. This implementation-focused approach has already led to positive outcomes, including federal funding for the Lower Canal/Oxford pilot, as well as increased interest from developers in the area.
Vesna Maneva
Vesna Maneva, PLA is principal landscape architect at Halvorson | Tighe & Bond Studio.
