LEWISTON – Citing his support for downtown redevelopment, city officials named a new park after former Mayor Laurier T. Raymond.

Officials dedicated the new park at the corner of Lincoln and Main streets Tuesday afternoon, turning on the fountains amid intermittent rain sprinkles.

“Anyone who worked behind the scenes saw Larry push, pull, encourage, educate and pretty much demand something be done about the downtown,” City Administrator Jim Bennett said. He and Mayor Lionel Guay credited Raymond with spearheading much of the downtown redevelopment that is happening today.

“Change does not occur when someone just stays on the sidelines in a nice, comfortable role,” Bennett said.

Raymond spent two years as mayor, from January 2002 to January 2004. He was instrumental in the July 2002 condemnation of the land under the new park. Councilors ultimately agreed to pay property owner Mickey Amlotte $265,000. The city also helped relocate Captain Morgan’s tattoo parlor and the Lewiston House of Pizza from the corner.

The new park provides a much nicer entry into Lewiston, according to current Mayor Lionel Guay. The park, its granite slabs and fountain, will be the first site to greet people driving across Longley Memorial Bridge from Auburn. Iron columns from the Gas Works development, each column about 150 years old, flank the plaza.

“This park is not the end, either,” Guay said. “This is just the beginning for this entire area.”

The park was built by the city’s public services crews, and Bennett applauded them for a job well done. Crews completed the work for about $390,000, about $180,000 less then the lowest private contractor bid for the work.

“People say government workers can’t do it,” Bennett said. “But we have proof that they can, and they did here.”