BANGOR, Maine — After months of planning, City Council members got their first glimpse Tuesday of what could be the future of the Bangor Waterfront.
Contracted by the city in December for $65,000, FTL Design Engineering Studio presented to the council’s Business and Economic Development Committee a vision for the waterfront intended to balance the needs of the concert venue, allow more public access and maximize its economic potential.
The plan includes a permanent covered performance facility with seating for 6,500 concertgoers and multiuse green space that would provide additional seating for larger shows and remain open to the public during smaller shows.
Community and Economic Development Director Tanya Emery said the multiuse green would be able to fit between 8,000 and 10,000 concertgoers.
By covering the concert venue with an acoustic shell and a permanent tensile canopy and by rearranging speakers to focus sound only on the concert venue itself, the changes could reduce noise complaints related to the concerts, according to Nicholas Goldsmith, a senior principal at FTL.
“Basically, we can bring down the sound by about 10 decibels, so [for] all of you who are not audio engineers, that basically means you’re cutting the sound level in half, and I think that’s a significant step toward mitigating some of the concerns that people in the community have,” he told the committee.
Other proposed improvements included the addition of a community plaza green with its own smaller performance facility, improved trails, and signs that could be in French as well as English directing visitors to other businesses and amenities in the city.
“There’s a lot of opportunities to make this sort of a guidepost,” Goldsmith said.
Other proposals include a pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks, additional trees and vegetation, public art, improvements to the Dutton Street underpass, and additional shaded areas for those utilizing the waterfront.
A widened Railroad Street able to accommodate pedestrians and food trucks, additional entrances along Main Street and a ticket kiosk near Main Street would help tie the facility to Main Street, making it more accessible to the public, Goldsmith said.
The FTL proposal also calls for permanent restrooms.
Programming suggestions include Christmas markets and ice sculptures as well as amenities such as skiing, skating and snow-cross trails to increase use of the area during the winter.
The proposal did not include cost estimates or construction times. Emery said the New York-based firm was not asked to do that.
In response to the presentation, the committee asked Emery to begin setting priorities, working out a timeline, gathering cost estimates and initiating conversations with the venue’s concert promoter, Waterfront Concerts, about its potential involvement in the proposed projects.
“You’ve given us some concrete ideas about how to get there. Now, obviously, getting there is going to take time and money,” said committee Chairman Joe Baldacci.
Emery said the proposed improvements to the waterfront have the potential to be a game changer for the city, but there are still a number of conversations that have to take place with stakeholders to get the proposal off the ground.
“This is not a road map. It’s a concept,” she said.
FTL Engineering Studio specializes in designing performance venues and transportation hubs.
Follow Evan Belanger on Twitter at @evanbelanger.