Description

Biddeford’s 50 acre historic Mill District, once a thriving 19th-century textile mill complex, had become a large complex of underutilized buildings, full of untapped potential. The dense mill complex – two million square feet of building on forty acres of land – conceals views of the Saco River and the dramatic falls.

CSS developed a Master Plan that provides a framework for the re-use of the mill buildings and the redevelopment of vacant parcels. The plan also includes a conceptual design for a riverwalk and open space system to create access to the river and adjacent Amtrak station, a parking and transit strategy, recommendations for a signage and wayfinding program and an implementation and funding strategy. Today, the new pedestrian bridge and first phase of the Riverwalk are open, and the District has 226 units of housing and over 120 businesses with 390 employees.