LEWISTON — In a matter of just a couple years, Simard-Payne Memorial Park and its surroundings could transform into one of Lewiston’s greatest offerings to residents and visitors alike.

Christopher Thompson, known for his development of Thompson’s Point in Portland, has a proposal for the city nearly two decades in the making.

The Portland businessman, who helped develop the Hampton Inn on Lincoln Street next to Simard-Payne park, said he sees the park and its surroundings as the city’s next opportunity for a year-round destination that includes entertainment, recreation, hospitality and public gathering. 

“It’s a reaffirmation of a vision and a plan that’s 17 years old,” Thompson said. “From a vision perspective, nothing has changed. From a process perspective, one important piece that got added  was a kind of a community work session to really hear what the vision has been from members of the community who haven’t been at the table with our team.”

The proposal, which came to the city council earlier this month as a letter of intent, outlines the possible expansion of the Hampton Inn or a second hotel, a redevelopment of the Red Shop as a food, beverage and event venue, and the use of the entire park as a destination for national touring concerts. 

The plans call for the sale of 39 Lincoln St., the sale or lease of the Red Shop at 38 Water St., and the creation of a 30-year tax increment financing agreement.

Thompson’s company, Eco Hospitality Consultants, would have 10-year exclusive rights to promote national touring concerts and seasonal programming at Simard-Payne park. The developer would have renewal options and will pay the city $3,000 per concert as well as public safety and staffing costs.

As part of programming, events involving nonprofits, fundraisers, culture and community programming, such as the city’s annual Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival, would continue to have space throughout the year, Thompson said.

“Any great public space, I think needs (to be) … home to all different kinds of events and programming for for-profit, nonprofit and everything in between,” Thompson said, adding that the development of the Hampton Inn hotel in 2014 was the beginning of a vision that began in 2009.

“I  think the most important thing for people to know is that we’re a team that wants to bring something of value to any place where we work.”

The proposal builds on the city’s long-term plans to transform the riverfront into a destination of community activity and economic development.

Last year, the city completed its Simard-Payne Park Master Plan, which calls for a redesign featuring improved river access and trails, public art, a new pavilion and expanded amphitheater, playground, splashpad and space designed for festivals, concerts and general use. 

Along with the newly opened Maine MILL museum nearby and hundreds of housing units planned behind the museum at the Continental Mill building, Thompson’s proposal and the master plan go hand-in-hand very well, Lewiston City Administrator Bryan Kaenrath said.

“ This is a city park and we really want to activate it,” Kaenrath said. “We want more programming here. We want to be able to serve our residents and bring people from out of town in. …  When I look at the city, I’d say this piece has the most momentum.”

Shelley Norton, Lewiston’s deputy director of planning and special projects, said the Simard-Payne Memorial Park Master Plan outlines several projects, large and small, either in the works or planned for the future. 

Aside from the Maine MILL museum opening and planned 300-unit housing at Continental Mill, the park will hopefully see features like a staircase leading down to the canal, lookout spots overlooking the canal and a second pedestrian bridge crossing near the Red Shop. 

Norton said the canal would be activated with less intensive uses like public art installations and other recreational activities as well as additional space for community events, namely the farmers market. 

“Some of those things we have in progress,” Norton said. “We just completed phase one of the Beech Street improvements. Phase two will be happening next year, which is a vehicular turnaround and seating area and additional path connections that connects you to the bridge across to Auburn.”

Ultimately, Lewiston’s riverwalk is planned to connect Lionel Potvin Park, which is beyond the Continental Mill and across Cedar Street, all the way upriver to Veterans Memorial Park on Main Street on the north side of Longley Bridge. 

“We have spent much time and energy discussing ways to activate our riverfront and this project checks off a lot of boxes for us,” Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline said. “I appreciate Chris Thompson’s continued interest and I’m excited for this deal to move forward.”

Thompson’s letter of intent came before the City Council earlier this month, but a vote on accepting the letter was postponed following concerns over the Red Shop and details over Thompson’s rights to use the park for concerts. 

Kaenrath said it is a misconception that the city would “relinquish control” of the park in any agreement with Thompson. The city will work with Thompson on park scheduling and preserving events like the balloon festival, the annual Brewfest and the Dempsey Challenge. 

“That’s a really important point for us,” Kaenrath said. “So, in no way are we giving up control of this park.”

The Red Shop, a city building, has been used over the past several years as storage for local group Lewiston Rowing’s boats. Members of the group and other residents argued the public did not have enough information about the proposal and opposed that part of Thompson’s plan.

Lewiston Planning Board Chair Shanna Cox said Monday in a letter that her board’s unanimous recommendation earlier in the year not to sell the property did not signal opposition to Thompson’s plan. She said the board was asked only to weigh the proposed sale of the Red Shop, and the board found that it lacked sufficient information about the property’s future use. 

“Our March 16 recommendation should be understood for what it was: a recommendation regarding the disposition of a single public asset based on the information before the board at that time,” Cox wrote in a statement. “It should not be interpreted as opposition to the broader vision for riverfront investment or redevelopment.”

The planning board has long supported redevelopment on the riverfront, especially through the city’s Riverfront Island Master Plan, and has not yet reviewed any development applications for Thompson’s proposal. 

Thompson said the vision for the Red Shop is to preserve the timber-frame building and equip it with a small kitchen, new bathrooms and to generally bring the building up to code, open it toward the park and to open it seasonally at first, and then, eventually, year-round. 

A new draft of his letter of intent, which Thompson will bring before the City Council on Tuesday, clarifies details of concern for council members and outlines that the building could either be sold or leased to the development.

“Simard-Payne Park is the best riverfront park in Maine,” Sheline said. “If we really want economic development on our riverfront, then we need to vote for it and I hope that happens next Tuesday night.”

Council approval of the letter of intent would simply mean the city is onboard to move forward with the process. All elements will still go through the traditional planning board process and have council vetting, officials said.

“We’ve always wanted this to  feel right and feel good to the city and its residents and visitors alike,” Thompson said. “That’s our goal, that’s who we are, that’s what we do here.”