NORWAY – Downtown revitalization efforts are going in the right direction, according to an update of the town’s enhancement strategy.

The report was released about three weeks ago, but has not been formally announced, according to Norway Community Development Director Debbie Wyman. Plans are in the works to hold a public meeting on the 79-page document in the next few months, she said.

“Surprisingly enough, we’re on track,” Wyman said Friday.

The report, prepared by Craig Freshley of Policy Development Inc., Brunswick, and Brian Kent of Kent Associates, Gardiner, lays out areas where the town has succeeded or needs work on a set of goals from a 1995 enhancement plan. It also details ways the town may continue to improve.

Of 21 goals from 1995, five have been completed, including the construction of a municipal parking lot and bus shelters, and the renovation of the Trolley Barn.

Some goals are being worked on today, the study said, and some are premature. Calls for more parking and the addition of a gazebo or trolley downtown are not pressing. Meanwhile, more work needs to be done on efforts to build more trailways and carry out sidewalk improvements downtown. Building improvements are needed as well.

“There is no single strategy that is going to turn downtown Norway into the bustling hub of economic and cultural activity that many residents and visitors would like it to become,” Freshley and Kent wrote in a summary of the plan’s recommendations. “The economy of downtown Norway,” they said, “will not bounce back overnight.”

The pair suggest continued emphasis on local retail services, the promotion of Norway as a cultural center and and the promotion and protection of the town’s historic character.

Other suggestions include ideas for more outdoor spaces and better access across the Pennesseewassee Stream.

The updated plan cost the town $12,000, Wyman said. Of that, $10,000 was covered by a Community Development Block Grant.

The town is doing better than may be immediately apparent, she said.

While some longtime anchor stores such as J.J. Newberry have been lost since the last enhancement strategy was put into place, several specialty shops, the New Balance store and the Fair Share Co-op have opened, she said.