NORWAY – A dusty, nondescript parking lot at Main and Deering streets will become a new town square over the next few months.

“I’m really excited about this project,” Town Manager David Holt said as he surveyed the progress of the $326,700 development Tuesday.

The plan calls for the front parking lot for L.M. Longley & Son to be excavated and paved with bricks, opening up an area under the shadow of the Opera House’s clock tower for people to sit and relax. Two maple trees on the Main Street sidewalk will remain for shade.

The lot is next to 100 Akre Wood Frame Shop.

The back parking lot of L.M. Longley & Son, which is accessible from Deering Street, will be renovated for 40 parking spaces. The weekly Farmer’s Market that has been held there has moved to a parking lot off Whitman Street and behind the Fare Share Market on Main Street.

The town’s kiosk at Cottage and Main streets next to L.F. Pike & Son clothing store will be moved to a corner of the new town square in hopes of rejuvenating its use.

The pitched-roof kiosk that was constructed several years ago as a place to draw tourists in for local information and to use as a future bus stop never quite fulfilled its original use. The bus never came and tourists apparently didn’t quite know what to make of the little building. Shortly after it was erected vandals spray-painted obscene remarks on it.

Holt said he hopes the change of location will revitalize the use of the kiosk.

The project has been engineered by Pine Tree Engineering of Bath and is being constructed by Pratt & Sons Inc. of Minot. It also includes reconstruction of Deering Street and replacement of sewer pipes that were installed in 1913. Work is expected to continue for the next few months.

Deering Street at the Main Street end has been blocked off while the sewer work continues.

Funding for the project was provided through a community block grant.