A rendering of Phase One of the Midcoast Athletic and Recreation Complex project, which will cost $6.2 million, according to the master plan published in May. Contributed / Town of Brunswick
Flight Deck Brewing and Wild Oats will host a Landing Bloc Party Sept. 10 to raise funds for the Midcoast Athletic and Recreation Complex (MARC), a multi-million-dollar project that could bring an outdoor skatepark, pickleball courts, a turf playing field and more to Brunswick Landing in the coming years.
“We’re calling it a ‘friendraising’ event,” said Sally Costello, Brunswick economic and community development director and vice-chair of the MARC advisory committee. “It should be a really fun time.”
Saturday’s event will run from 5-9 p.m. and feature live music, food trucks, a 50-50 raffle and more, according to Costello. MARC advisory committee members will be on hand to discuss the project, which could start construction as soon as next summer.
“This is something we’ve needed and wanted for a very long time,” Town Councilor and advisory committee member Abby King said. “I think (the Bloc Party) is a chance to really show the community that their input was heard.”
During the project’s 8-month community engagement and planning phase, consultant groups CHA and BerryDunn worked with the Landing Community Center Complex Committee to gather feedback and ideas from over 1,300 Brunswick residents through surveys, focus groups and a public forum, according to a master plan study the Town Council approved earlier this summer.
Community feedback helped the team devise their plan for a 10-acre parcel neighboring the Brunswick Parks and Recreation Center on Neptune Drive, land the town obtained in 2020 from the National Park Service under the condition it be used for public park or public recreation purposes.
Phase One of the project, which will include a skatepark, grass and turf playing fields, basketball and pickleball courts, and a playground, will cost an estimated $6.2 million, according to Costello. Possible future phases could include the construction of an indoor or outdoor aquatics center and ice rink and cost upwards of $30 million.
For now, the MARC advisory committee is focused on finalizing its Phase One plans and raising money through grants and private donations to pay for the project without raising taxes on Brunswick residents, King said.
The group has applied for a $500,000 grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which the Town Council has agreed to match, Costello said. She added the project is well-poised to win $3 million in federal funds this year.
Besides serving active Brunswick residents of all ages and ability levels, the MARC’s advocates say the new facility will justify its price tag by drawing visitors from around the Midcoast.
“Folks from Topsham and folks from Bath and area communities are going to be able to come and utilize this,” said Kristine Logan, executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority and MARC advisory committee member. “I think it’s a great addition to the Landing and what we’re trying to create here.”
To donate or learn more about the project visit www.marcproject.org.
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