Kennebunk is making plans to continue its downtown revitalization project after making major upgrades to Main Street in June 2011.

The first phase included widened sidewalks with brick pavers and granite curbs, as well as new light posts, trees and planters, and a brick patio area with seating to be used in warmer weather.

The $1.4 million project disrupted traffic and easy access to the area during construction, but a drive or stroll down Main Street shows it was well worth the effort, expense and temporary inconvenience. The sidewalks make the area very pedestrian-friendly and the main drag no longer looks like a “sea of asphalt,” as one project designer dubbed pre-makeover Main Street.

The project has been paid for through TIF funds, and the second phase would also be funded by the downtown TIF. The intersection of York and High streets, as well as nearby driveway entrances, is the focus of phase two, in which sidewalks and street lighting will be incorporated. Landscaping and drainage improvements will also be considered.

The issue now, for some town officials, is that the area was disrupted by the construction, and they’re concerned about how businesses will fare if it starts up again so soon. At a selectmen’s meeting this week, Selectwoman Deborah Beal said businesses have not gotten back to “where they were before phase one,” adding that beginning the next phase too soon would be a setback to businesses still recovering from the construction detours caused by the first part of the project. Beal suggested waiting another year.

While her concerns are legitimate, it’s unlikely that pushing the work off one year will have much of an impact.

We’re in a down economy, and it shows. Continuing to spruce up the downtown will help attract more tourists in coming summers, and locals should not be deterred from their favorite Kennebunk spots because they have to make a few extra turns for detours.

The first phase of the project looks great, but it has left the areas before and after it looking disconnected. Work on the other phases needs to commence so that the area will look congruous and people will want to walk from York Street to Main Street to Route 1.

In Kennebunk’s Lower Village, visitors can walk from the restaurants and shops into Dock Square in Kennebunkport and down Ocean Avenue or toward Kennebunk Beach. That area has a welcoming feel for pedestrians, as the traffic moves slowly and the sidewalks line both sides of the streets in most places.

Kennebunk would be well served to create a similar feeling for its downtown visitors, also making it a destination for tourists looking for an afternoon of shopping and lunch or a new spot for dinner.

Phase two construction, if the project moves forward and gets voter approval, would not start until this fall and would be completed in the spring of 2014, leaving the 2013 summer tourist season largely unaffected. The work is also to be funded by the TIF, meaning no tax impact for residents.

We hope work continues soon to keep Kennebunk on the right track and competitive with other coastal communities.

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