A public meeting this week will be the final chance for residents to air ideas for the design of Westbrook’s Riverwalk North project, an extension of the downtown riverwalk that will create a continuous loop.

The meeting on Thursday, Aug. 27, from 7-9 p.m. at St. Hyacinth Church, 268 Brown St., will be the third and final in a series of meetings on the proposal.

The north section of the riverwalk would stem from Bridge Street and run along land owned by Sappi Fine Paper next to One Riverfront Plaza, spiraling along the riverbank and continuing down to what’s known as the black bridge, connecting the path back across the river.

The Westbrook Planning Board reviewed a sketch plan for the project on May 5. Kylie Mason, a senior landscape architect with Sebago Technics, has been leading the project.

While discussing the project at previous meetings, planning staff and outdoor enthusiasts have said the riverwalk extension would be beneficial for Westbrook residents, not only as a public recreational amenity, but also as a possible economic stimulus.

At a public meeting this past winter, Bruce Wallingford, the owner of Ernie’s Cycle Shop in Westbrook, compared the proposed loop to Back Cove in Portland, saying that the trail can attract outside visitors.

City Planner Molly Just has said the project will include street access from multiple points, including a connection to the new pedestrian bridge that will be part of the Bridge Street bridge rebuild.

A few abutters to the proposed project have voiced concern over the proximity of the new section of trail to their property, citing privacy and safety issues. However, most of the land along the river is owned by Sappi for its power lines extending from Saccarappa Falls to the mill. Once the dams are removed by 2017, the land will be acquired by the city.

According to Just, the Riverwalk North will include a mix of cantilevered boardwalk, to traverse wetland areas, and at-grade trail.

“We will engage in a discussion of the practical, technical and aesthetic details, and next steps,” Just said in a notice about the public meeting.

She said the next step will be presenting the design to the Planning Board on Sept. 14.

“The Riverwalk North will likely be constructed in phases and funded by a variety of sources in order to reduce the cost to the taxpayers,” Just said this week. “Ultimately, the river loop in the downtown area, in combination with the Bridge Street bridge streetscape and boardwalk overlook expansions, will be an enormous community asset and will attract economic development to historic downtown Westbrook.”

A rendering of what the extended Presumpscot riverwalk project could look like was presented at the previous public meeting this winter. The trail would create a continuous loop in downtown Westbrook. No cost estimates have been made. Image courtesy Sebago Technics