Bath Iron Works offers town waterfront space for park

BATH — Bath Iron Works is giving the city a waterfront park on land now occupied by rusting sections of ships.

BIW’s offer is to make up for the loss of a river view at the south end of Bath by a planned 750-foot dry dock. The dock is to be built as part of a $200 million expansion scheduled to begin this summer.

During construction, the property will be used as a staging area. The park will be built in two phases ending in 2005 with a 10-acre space. BIW will leave a pier at the park.

City Manager John Bubier calls the proposal “a wonderful thing for the city.”