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With arena approved, waterfront development takes center stage in Bangor

BANGOR, Maine — With voter approval of a $65 million arena and convention center in the rearview mirror, Bangor leaders are shifting their attention down Main Street to the waterfront, an area they believe is primed for economic development.

City councilors on Wednesday discussed both short- and long-term goals for developing the waterfront and offered a clear direction to economic development staff members: Go out and aggressively market the city’s most valuable property.

“There seemed to be a consensus that we would lease land rather than sell, if we can find the right developer, but the rest [of the discussion] was: ‘Let’s start hyping this up,’” said Councilor Cary Weston, who chairs the council’s Business and Economic Development Committee.

Among the biggest variables of waterfront development planning is what the city decides to do in terms of a permanent stage that many hope would be home to the Waterfront Concert Series for many years to come.

Weston said the city has some preliminary thoughts about a permanent stage, specifically building a structure into the naturally sloping hill behind the Tim Hortons restaurant and facing the stage toward the Penobscot River. Parks and Recreation Director Tracy Willette was expected to meet Thursday with Waterfront Concerts promoter Alex Gray to discuss more details, but nothing has been decided.

The current stage, set up near the corner of Railroad and Front streets and facing Main Street, is not considered a permanent location. It’s still not certain who would pay for a permanent structure, the city or the promoter.

In addition to a large-scale concert venue, the city still envisions a smaller sloped amphitheatre and additional walking trails, elements that have been part of the waterfront master plan for more than a decade.

But the catalyst for all the planned improvements is private development. The more business Bangor lures to the waterfront and Main Street, the more tax revenue it can use to make improvements to the waterfront.

“Once we have permanence, we can build around that,” Weston said. “We really need to compliment [Economic Development Director] Rod McKay and his staff for their vision over the last 10 years in shaping that piece of property and getting it ready for the future. Now it’s time to take all of that and get a commercial return for the city.”

The newest member of the city’s economic development staff — Tanya Pereira, who was hired in March — will have the task of aggressively pursuing development opportunities on the waterfront.

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