It’s an exciting time for downtown Biddeford. The arts community has taken up residence, the mills are once again teeming with life, Heart of Biddeford is regularly hosting events, and several restaurants and other shops are thriving. Best of all, discussion has moved on from complaining about the trash incinerator and trying to run it out of town to actually doing something to promote business growth downtown: Putting in a parking garage.

This is finally the real deal, the next big step toward making Biddeford’s downtown a destination spot for shoppers, revelers and even corporations. The study will show us how to go forward with actually building the garage, from the type of material to the site itself. Building and maintenance costs will be determined, as will financing options and traffic details. It’s not another “Hey, should we do this?” study, it’s the way forward to making this garage a reality.

With one or more parking garages in place, all the downtown has to offer will be easy to access, even in the dead of winter when snowbanks and icy sidewalks make street parking less attractive. Motorists won’t be turned off by parallel parking, the lack of spots near their chosen destination, or the threat of a parking ticket. Today, customers who want to patronize shops in the mill buildings or on Main Street can sometimes find it hard to do so, depending on the time of day, as much of the parking space is already taken up by employees or other visitors.

As of now, it would be difficult for a major business to take up residence in the downtown, since they would have no place for employees to park. City officials are hoping the garage will draw major corporations to the downtown once it’s in place, since they will be able to rent several spaces for their employees. Larger corporations will be able to put up their shingles in the mills and Main Street storefronts once the garage is available to accommodate them and their customers comfortably. It’s just not possible as it is now, which is undoubtedly holding back the downtown from its full potential.

Though some city councilors have objected to the city funding the garage construction, we agree with Economic Development Director Daniel Stevenson that it must be viewed as an infrastructure investment. The city has already invested in studies on how to improve the downtown and those have shown that parking is a priority. The area was built during the time of hoofing it or taking the trolley and it’s not set up to accommodate the car culture of today, which is a major reason why it has floundered in the past few decades.

So much has been reinvested in the downtown these past few years, it would be a shame to deny the next logical step of providing sufficient parking. The $98,000 that the city will dedicate to this feasibility study for the garage(s) will be money well spent, giving the city the details it will need to figure out how to fund and go out to bid for this project.

We applaud those councilors who are forward-thinking enough to support this study and who appreciate the long-term view that this will ultimately help Biddeford reach that goal of revitalizing the downtown district. It’s easy to envision Biddeford as having the next “Old Port” type of atmosphere, albeit with its own unique characteristics. With ample parking, the sky will be the limit for possibilities downtown: Classy bars, dance clubs, art galleries, clothing shops, specialty food shops, jazz clubs, spa services. It could be upscale or fun and wild or touristy and artsy. This study is just the beginning of the next phase to take Biddeford onward and upward.

Ӣ Ӣ Ӣ

Today’s editorial was written by Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski, on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via e-mail at kristenm@journaltribune.com.