From playgrounds and skate parks to full-scale overhauls of major traffic arteries, there are lots of ideas on the table when it comes to projects proposed by the city of Bangor and other Bangor organizations.
Here’s a roundup of the status of some of those projects, as of March 2018.
The project: Waterfront playgrounds, skating rinks, splash pad
What is it? Both Bangor Breakfast Kiwanis and Rotary Club of Bangor proposed a few years ago to build some new facilities on the waterfront — Kiwanis wanted to build a new playground, while Rotary wanted to build a splash pad and skating rink.
What happened last: There was fundraising done in November 2017 by Kiwanis to raise money for the playground, and the group plans more fundraising efforts this year as well.
The next step: According to Rotary president Bev Uhlenhake, the group has all but scrapped its plans, because of the instability of much of the reclaimed Waterfront land. Kiwanis is waiting for the city to break ground on a $22 million wastewater storage tank before it goes ahead with finalizing plans for playground construction.
The project: Smaller waterfront amphitheater
What is it? The very first development plans for the revitalization of the Bangor waterfront in 1998 included a number of proposals, such as multiple hotels, restaurants and condominiums. One of those proposals that still retains real interest nearly 20 years later is the creation of a permanent amphitheater-style stage on the waterfront, for use for live theater and for smaller concerts than what are presented at the Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion.
What happened last: The last time the project was mentioned with any amount of seriousness was in 2015, which was the last time a waterfront development plan was commissioned by the city.
The next step: As with the Kiwanis playground, the wastewater storage tank has to be at least started before such a project could be undertaken.
The project: Bangor Skate Park
What is it? Bangor Parks and Recreation has acknowledged the need to replace the rapidly aging Union Street skate park, though the effort has taken several years to get off the ground.
What happened last: Three sites were initially proposed: Broadway Park, Williams Park in Newbury Street and an unused plot of land behind Park and Rec headquarters on Main Street. A fourth site, at Hayford Park, was added to the list in February. Another public forum on the move will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Fairmount School.
The next step: A design for the park needs to be finalized and approved by the city council, and more funding needs to be secured, though local skate group the Black Bear Skatepark Association has already raised $30,000 for its construction.
The project: Pickering Square remodel
What it is? Another project that’s been on the docket for some time, the remodel of Pickering Square in downtown Bangor envisions significant changes to traffic flow for both city buses and for people using the parking garage, as well as brand new landscaping, benches and brickwork throughout the square.
What happened last: It appears likely that the first changes will include a full revamp of the grassy area between One Merchants Plaza and the Parking Garage and moving the entrance to the parking garage to the corner of Broad and Water streets. Some mockups of what the proposed changes would look like were released by the city in early March.
The next step: No date for a vote by the city council for final approval on those designs has been set. But when it’s approved, work could begin as early as this summer.
The project: Changing or moving the bus depot
What is it? In an issue related to the Pickering Square remodel, there’s also been talk for years about either changing or moving the downtown bus depot altogether.
What happened last: A proposal to move the depot to Washington Street caught the interest of a few city councilors, but no further discussion has been had on the matter since then.
The next step: It seems to rely on significant changes to the layout of Pickering Square and the parking garage.
The project: Broadway/Earle Avenue remodel
What is it? From 2011 to 2013, there were 267 crashes on Broadway, between Interstate 95 and Grandview Avenue, according to the Maine Department of Transportation. Both city and state officials agree the traffic pattern needs to be changed in order to reduce crashes.
What happened last: In order to fix the often chaotic traffic on Broadway, the city began work on a project in 2017, first repaving the entirety of Broadway.
The next step: The next change will likely be a redesign of the traffic flow in the area on Broadway between Center Street and Earle Avenue. A public forum on those proposed changes was held last week, which showcased a number of different options for a potential redesign of the roadway.
The project: Free or affordable Wi-Fi in Bangor
What is it? The Bangor Innovative Neighborhood Competition in 2017, was tasked with coming up with ideas that would transform the city for the better. The winning idea was to to partner with an internet service provider to offer affordable, city-wide high-speed internet. Bangor had already tossed around the idea of offering city-sponsored internet in the Capehart neighborhood, with an eye toward offering free Wi-Fi for students in some of Bangor’s lowest-income neighborhoods.
What happened next: The city council approved the installation of the Internet out at Capehart, and according to Bangor community and economic development director Tanya Emery, poles and transmitters were installed several months ago.
The next step: The city-wide internet is an idea that excites a lot of people, but right now, it’s still just an idea. Final adjustments are being made on the Capehart internet project and Emery said she expects it to launch later this year.
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