Saco Main Street is seeking a grant that would in part be used toward improvements to Jubilee Park off Water Street. LIZ GOTTHELF/Journal Tribune
SACO — Saco Main Street is looking for the community’s support as it seeks to win a $25,000 grant in a national contest.
Local economic development group Saco Main Street is one of more than 90 community organizations nation-wide competing in Independent We Stand’s fourth annual America’s Main Street contest.
Independent We Stand is a movement of independently owned businesses across the country dedicated to educating their communities about the benefits of buying local.
The winner of the America’s Main Street Contest will win $25,000 in cash and other prizes from contest sponsors.
Saco Main Street is seeking $25,000 to renovate two city-owned parks along the Saco River — Diamond Park and Jubilee Island.
“The river is a great asset that we need to exploit,” said Saco Main Street Executive Director Rob Biggs.”
Making improvements to these two riverside parks would bring social and economic benefits to the city, giving the community greater access to the green space and the river and drawing people to the city and to the downtown, said Biggs.
The 90-plus communities in the running for the grant will be narrowed down to 25 first-round finalists next month through an online voting process. To vote for Saco, go to www.MainStreetContest.com. Those who wish to vote can vote every day through April 21.
The top 25 candidates will be announced on April 29 and then will go through a second round of online voting to determine the top 10. The winners of this round will be announced May 28.
A panel of judges will review the top 10 finalists and announce a winner on June 2.
“Our Independent We Stand America’s Main Streets contest shines a light on the pride business owners and communities take in their Main Streets,” Independent We Stand co-founder Bill Brunelle said in a written statement. “We know small businesses on these Main Streets help them thrive and have a measurable economic impact. This contest is a chance to share those stories with people from coast-to-coast.”
Jubilee Park is an island, which is less than one acre, adjacent to Water Street. The park is accessible by a covered bridge that was built by the Saco Jaycees in the 1980s. The island was formed from concrete, bricks, and other fill, according to city documents. The island is owned by Florida Power and Light, which leases it to the city for $1 a year, according to city documents.
The island was once called Poor’s Island, and was home to a poor house in the early 1800s until high river events made it an undesirable location, according to Roy Fairfield in his 1956 book “Sands, Spindles and Steeples: A History of Saco, Maine.” In the 1890s the island housed a dance pavilion and on nearby Water Street was a merry-go-round, according to Fairfield.
A person in a wheel chair can get on the island by using the pedestrian bridge, Biggs said, but once on the island, there aren’t any accessible paths. He said he would like to see a handicap accessible path on the island, spots for viewing the river, and solar lights.
The small park is a short distance from Main Street, and Biggs envisions it as a spot for mid-day concerts, where people could buy a lunch downtown and bring it to the park to enjoy while they listen to music.
Diamond Park is a six- acre parcel on Irving Street that was donated to the city in 1975 by the Diamond National Company, according to city documents. The park has a boat launch on the Saco River, picnic tables, a playground and a walking trail.
Biggs would like to see improvements at Diamond Park similar to the ones he’s envisioned for Jubilee Park.
Other communities in Maine who have entered the contest are Rockland and Westbrook
— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
