BIDDEFORD — Alan Casavant was sworn in to his third two-year term as the city’s mayor during a ceremony at City Theater Tuesday night.

In his acceptance speech, Casavant – a lifelong Biddeford resident who taught at Biddeford High School for 35 years, served on the City Council for 18 and in the Maine Legislature for eight – spoke of what he called “Biddeford’s ongoing evolution into a modern, thriving city.”

He pointed to the vast amount of economic development in the city’s mill district, which is experiencing very high rates of growth. With projects like the Lincoln Hotel and Lofts and the Lofts at Saco Falls underway, the city has seen more than $75 million in new investment in its mill district in the last year alone.

“Truly, this is an exciting time to live in Biddeford,” said Casavant. “While the past four years have been remarkable and at times dazzling, there is still room for improvement.”

Too often, he said, residents harbor a dim view of the city, referring to it negatively as “the Biddo” and posting “counterproductive” statements on social media.

“I have found it ironic that those who often have the greatest praise of Biddeford are often from away,” said Casavant, before urging all residents to adopt a positive outlook on Biddeford and its future.

Casavant ended his speech by listing some of the challenges to come as the city continues to grow.

Parking, for example, will become “a significant problem (for which) ultimately … the only solution is going to be a parking garage,” the mayor contended. The much-needed restoration of the City Hall clock tower is another issue that the city will need to address, he said.

But the greatest challenge, Casavant said, will be shrinking what he called “the great divide” between himself and other city officials and the group of men who earlier this year accused two ex-Biddeford police officers of sexually abusing them as children. The alleged victims and their supporters have held a steady presence at city meetings for the last year, often clashing with Casavant and other city officials over the city’s response to the allegations.

“We must communicate and we must respect each other because, after all, we all share one common denominator: We all love this city,” said Casavant.

With newly sworn-in Saco Mayor Ron Michaud in the audience Tuesday, Casavant also promised more collaborative work between the two cities in the future. “We must recognize that in reality we are really one community consisting of two cities … bound together by one river,” he said.

The nine city councilors, seven School Committee members, seven Charter Revision Commission members, and nine wardens and ward clerks elected in the Nov. 3 election also officially took office during the inauguration, which was the city’s 147th.

The ceremony, which was emceed by former City Councilor Patricia Boston, included music performances, prayers and a 15-minute video showing photos of “the places and faces of Biddeford.”

“I think this is the part of the evening that you’ll find inspiring and moving,” Boston told the crowd of hundreds before starting the video – which depicted well-known sites like the RiverWalk pedestrian bridge, the City Hall clock tower and businesses old and new, such as Palace Diner and Reilly’s Bakery as well as Suger and Custom Deluxe.

Casavant and the newly elected City Council will meet for the first time next Tuesday. Seven incumbents will return to their council seats as they welcome newcomer Laura Seaver to one of the two at-large seats and former City Councilor Rick Laverierre to the Ward 6 seat.

— Staff Writer Angelo J. Verzoni can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or averzoni@journaltribune.com.