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V O L . X X I X N O. X V J U LY 1 0 , 2 0 2 3 22 A U G U S TA / WAT E R V I L L E / C E N T R A L M A I N E F O C U S exemplifies this transformative wave, introducing new housing options, enhancements to downtown retail, and innovative shared street designs that promote downtown commerce and collaboration." Here is a round-up of other projects in the works Plourde Investments LLC, has two projects in the planning phase, including 36-34 Main St., redevel- opment of commercial space and 68-70 Main St., redevelopment of commercial space and one new housing unit created. Manor Garden is a $6.9 million project comprising 20 townhouse- style units for phase one and an additional 13 units scheduled for phase two. ey will be a mix of market rate and workforce-level housing. e development team is Manor Gardens LLC. Traffic flow Waterville was a victim of urban renewal in the 1960s when historic buildings were torn down and the traffic pattern was made into one-way streets. For the last two years, Waterville residents and store owners have endured an $11.2 million downtown revitalization, which wound up in November. e downtown revitalization is a partnership between Colby College, the city of Waterville and the Maine Department of Transportation. e aim is to transform downtown Waterville with economic development, cultural programs and new public spaces. It includes improved walkways, lighting, landscaping and intersections. It also made streets two-way after decades of one-way travel. A $52.85 million project to replace the Ticonic Bridge started April 3, when day and night lane closures will begin as the Maine Department of Transportation works on the struc- ture that spans the Kennebec River and the Waterville-Winslow town line. e project is being funded in part by a Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for $25 million. e bridge will be closed from November 2024 until April 2025. Emphasis on the arts Another key part of downtown revi- talization has been the Paul J. Schupf Art Center, an $18 million project several years in the making. It opened its doors in December 2022. e 32,000-square-foot center, a partnership between Colby College and Waterville Creates, is the home for Waterville's visual and performing arts, arts education and film, and will serve as the headquarters of Waterville Creates. It will also include the Colby College Museum of Art's Joan Dignam Schmaltz Gallery of Art. e center will also house three state-of-the-art cinemas operated by the Maine Film Center, which brings independent film to Maine and is the only Sundance Art House project cin- ema in the state. It will also be home to the Maine Film Centers' annual Maine International Film Festival, a 10-day celebration in July that attracts film- makers and film lovers worldwide. e festival was split between two places and will now be held under one roof. e center has a 24/7 clay studio with eight pottery wheels and three kilns that are part of the Ticonic + Gallery Studios. Membership for the pottery studio is $130 a month; this includes all supplies but the clay. Studio 1902 is a rehearsal space for the Waterville Opera House and a flex- ible space for programs and receptions. Another center is the Greene Block + Studios, which is a partnership between Colby's libraries and the art office. e $6.5 million project offers arts program- ming, provides space for interdisciplin- ary artistic collaborations, and promotes the development of creative work by Maine and national artists, educators, scholars, and students. Other arts-related projects are planned. Colby plans another art museum. e $85-million, 74,000-square-foot center, is expected to be completed by the fall of 2023, the new arts center is expected to be the most advanced and innovative arts facility in the region and the new home for Colby's Departments of eater, dance, music and the cinema studies program. Alexis Wells, Mainebiz staff writer, can be reached at awells @ mainebiz.biz #SINCE 1911 This event will have fun for all ages with a bounce house, gaga ball pit, volleyball, giant jenga, beach balls, face painting, smores pit for the kids, a magic mirror photo booth, live acoustic entertainment with Ron Bergeron, food and beverages for everyone (adult beverages will be available for purchase), and full American BBQ menu provided by Blue Elephant Events and Catering. Family FUn Festival Family FUn Festival T H U R S , J U L Y 2 7 , 2 0 2 3 | 4 : 3 0 - 7 : 0 0 P . M . R I V E R W I N D S F A R M & E S T A T E , S A C O Sponsored by: Institute for Family-Owned Business IFOB Members $50, Non-Members $65, Kids under 15 are FREE! Visit www.fambusiness.org to register The revitalization of downtown Waterville highlights the trans formative power of strategic investments and communitydriven initiatives. — Garvan Donegan Central Maine Growth Council

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