A concept design for a renovated Simard-Payne Memorial Park at 46 Beech St. in Lewiston shows new pedestrian access, a playground, a splash pad, an enlarged amphitheater and space for a future pavilion. A final design is expected in late March. City of Lewiston

LEWISTON — City officials and a team of consultants are close to finalizing a plan for overhauling Simard-Payne Memorial Park over a number of years as the city looks to draw more attention and investment to the riverfront.

City councilors received a preview this week of potential concept designs for the park, with a final design expected to be done by late March. The plans could include features such as canal overlooks, an adventure playground and splash pad, an enlarged amphitheater and space for a future pavilion that could host concerts.

Councilors gave some opinions on the range of design elements, but appeared largely in support of the bulk of the proposals. The city is working with consultants from VIEWSHED, a landscape architecture and planning firm based in Yarmouth.

The design for the park comes after the city updated its Riverfront Island Master Plan in 2023, with city leaders hoping to encourage more recreational use in the riverfront, but also new economic activity to capitalize on the coming development of Maine MILL, the Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor.

In early 2024, the city received nearly $4 million in federal funding toward making Simard-Payne Memorial Park improvements, which at the time staff said would be used to create better pedestrian access.

Although officials were presented with two different concepts, they were told design elements can be mixed and matched in the final design. Included in the concepts are a pedestrian bridge over the canals as well as the long-discussed “canal steps” project off Oxford Street, which is designed to offer access to the canals. Images from the consultant show kayaks in the water while people sit and read on the steps. During the winter, the canal could be used for skating.

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In the second concept, the canal steps could be switched out for canal overlooks built out over the water rather than leading down to it.

Other design elements that proved popular with councilors were an adventure playground and potential splash pad and climbing wall.

“I think all of that interactive stuff is going to be really great for families and they’re going to want to come,” Councilor Eryn Soule-Leclair said.

Other features under consideration are a dining plaza by the Red Shop, new restrooms, and an additional handicap-accessible path through the center of the park. Also under consideration is a future skating rink in the pavilion area.

Councilor Josh Nagine said he’d prefer a skating rink as opposed to using the canals for skating, which he argued would not be reliable. He said an area like Thompson’s Point in Portland has a “really good” pavilion design that provides coverage when its raining but can also act “for all kinds of different purposes.”

Nagine also urged the consultant team to make the future pavilion design as flexible as possible in order to accommodate a range of community groups and needs.

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One image shown to the council was a pavilion with a stage covered by shade sails that would be removed in the winter.

The existing amphitheater area would be revamped, including an enlarged stage. The consultants said they were told the city has seen fewer events hosted there because the stage is too small.

Mayor Carl Sheline said the city should consider factors like long-term maintenance and required supervision when deciding on design elements.

“I have a hard time picturing an unsupervised splash pad,” he said. “I just want to make sure we have sustainable elements.

“Simard-Payne Park is the best riverfront park in Maine where we host our festivals and events that draw people from around the world,” he said Friday. An investment in Simard-Payne is an investment in our economic future.”

During a joint City Council and Planning Board workshop on the Riverfront Island Master Plan in late 2023, officials were asked to prioritize future improvements. There was a three-way tie among the top areas of interest: extending the riverwalk from Simard-Payne park north to Veterans Memorial Park on Main Street, upgrading the Ash Street corridor, and developing a community pavilion at Simard-Payne park.

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