RUMFORD – The Downtown Revitalization Committee has some big plans to bring life and business to the downtown districts.
Decorative street lights and artists’ renditions of what is and what might be were demonstrated and presented at Monday’s monthly meeting.
Town Manager Steve Eldridge is applying for a $400,000 community development block grant that, if approved, would provide funding for street lights, sidewalks and other enhancements to the Congress and Waldo streets areas as well as some side streets.
Don Kerr, a retired art teacher from the SAD 43 school district who now lives in Winthrop, has been asked to create drawings of some of the downtown areas, such as Canal Street, Waldo Street, the proposed riverwalk trail along the Androscoggin River off Bridge Street, the former Agway and adjacent parking lot and other points. Then, he was to create illustrations showing how differently they would appear when renovated and beautified.
He told the group that his drawings will be created so that an overlay will show before-and-after views of a downtown revitalization project area.
Erik Designs will print the drawings. They will be put on display in one of Congress Street’s storefronts for public viewing.
A representative from Holphane, an exterior lighting company, showed the committee some suggestions for street lights. The town now has 24 lights, most on Congress and Exchange streets, Eldridge said. Those would be replaced and additional lights will be installed along Canal, Hartford, River, Waldo and a portion of Railroad streets.
The group also suggested ways to open up the downtown area and to make it a more inviting place to visit.
Among suggestions was one from member William French, who suggested removing a portion of the iron fencing along Veterans Memorial Park at the end of Congress Street. Seth Carey made two suggestions, proposing construction of a boardwalk on Canal Street and some sort of decorative shuttering or other enhancement on the Muskie building. Others suggested looking into changing the one-way direction of Congress Street, which appears to direct people out of town, not into it.
Eldridge and others also are seeking ways to encourage businesses to advertise what they have and to believe that Rumford is a destination location.
“There are businesses who complain that the town is dying, but they won’t put money into advertising,” he said.
The committee is expected to make recommendations on street lights at the Aug. 14 meeting. Members also are in the midst of choosing a logo and slogan for the downtown areas.
The meetings begin at 6 p.m. in the Municipal Building.
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