Courtesy / City of Biddeford
Seen here is a proposed parking garage at 3 Lincoln St.
April 8, 2019
Biddeford and developers agree on mixed-use plan for former MERC site
Courtesy / City of Biddeford
Proposed structures for 3 Lincoln St. in Biddeford are seen on the right-hand side of this image, which also shows other development projects and recent purchases in the downtown area.
By Staff
Portland developers Jim Brady and Brian Eng have entered into a master plan agreement with the city of Biddeford to develop the former Maine Energy Recovery Co. site, at 3 Lincoln St. in downtown Biddeford.
The agreement establishes two development sites at 3 Lincoln St., on both sides of a space that’s reserved for a proposed parking garage.
The developers seek to incorporate a mixture of residential, retail, office, hospitality, education and service uses with the proposed parking structure, RiverWalk and riverside park, according to a news release.
The goal is to create an economically vibrant, urban-style mixed-use destination.
“Known Biddeford entities have already expressed strong interest for a total of 80,000 square feet of commercial space in the first building,” the release says.
"We are very excited to continue our work in Biddeford,” Brady said in the release. “Getting to know and working with people in the community over the past few years has been a joy, and watching development unfold has been exciting. We look forward to rolling up our sleeves and partnering with the city to contribute to the next phase of Biddeford's downtown renaissance."
Brady and Eng are operating under the business name BE Fitler LLC for the project.
According to the release, they will develop a preliminary concept plan for the site using community input. The plan will include building layout, scale and design as well as pedestrian, transit, transportation and utility connections to the surrounding downtown area.
The plan is expected to be completed within the next three months and will then go to the city council for approval. A final site development plan is expected to be completed within six months of city approval of the preliminary plan.
“Jim Brady and Brian Eng have a wealth of development experience and are committed to Biddeford’s revitalization,” Mayor Alan Casavant said in the release.
The plan will connect the downtown and mill district. The development will encompass about 40% of the land owned by the city. The project might be divided into two phases consistent with the development on either side of the proposed parking structure. The design of the new structures will require access to and be dependent on the proposed garage.
At its April 2 meeting, the city council took several steps forward on the path to the parking garage at 3 Lincoln St. The council voted to begin obtaining permits for the proposed Phase I parking structure, a process expected to take four to six months. Desman Design Management will also proceed with the design for Phase II of the proposed parking facility.
Parking garage project expands
According to a news release from the city, parking needs in the 3 Lincoln St. area are continuously increasing as Biddeford’s economic revitalization continues.
“Each new development project approved in the downtown adds to the demand for parking, which is now projected to outpace the proposed 522-space Phase I parking structure,” the release says.
Phase II of the garage would add approximately 120 additional spaces, bringing the total capacity of the facility to about 642 parking spaces.
"Over the last few years, we have witnessed increased pressures on parking, and we know that there are soon going to be even more people in the downtown placing additional demands on parking, so we need to plan accordingly for the future,” Casavant said in the release. “It is important to respond to momentum in the development process now rather than try to play catch-up when new development opportunities are presented.”
City leaders foresee that the positive growth trends that have been witnessed in the past several years will not continue without adequate parking supply for proposed developments, according to the release.
“As a city, we have already lost out on opportunities for additional tax revenue because of a lack of parking for customers and employees of businesses that would have otherwise wanted to come to Biddeford,” Ward 5 Councilor Amy Clearwater said in the release. “The proposed parking garage is another step that can be taken to continue to attract development to the downtown and add to the property tax base.”
The parking garage, due to be built by early 2020, will be the city's first. Maine Energy Recovery Co. was the city’s former waste-to-energy incinerator site. The city purchased the site in 2012 for $6.65 million. Brady, who is based in Portland, is also active in Biddeford. He was a Mainebiz Next honoree in 2017.
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