September 20, 2024
Archive

A new arena: Nine possible Bangor sites

Following is a list of nine Bangor sites a city consultant identified as viable candidates for a new arena complex, and City Manager Edward Barrett’s comments on each site’s current standing:

. Bass Park, Option A: This site faces Main and Buck streets and would put the arena where the Paul Bunyan statue and nearby park are located.

. Bass Park, Option B: This option would place the arena into the hill farther back from Main and Buck streets, which would avoid having to relocate the statue and park.

. Roundhouse: Formerly used as a turning station for locomotives, this site is located along the railroad tracks running through Bangor Waterfront. It is owned by the city, but the location no longer is considered likely because of the nearby racino project and recent redevelopment work done along the Penobscot River.

. Waterfront: This option calls for using undeveloped land near the intersection of Main and Railroad streets, across Main Street from Shaw’s Supermarket. Though the city owns the site, there probably is too little land there to accommodate parking for an arena.

. River Bluff: This site has frontage on Summer and May streets, but Barrett said it is “fairly unlikely” because it is privately owned.

. Exchange Street: This site is located at the corner of Exchange and Washington streets, along the Kenduskeag Stream. It no longer is available because it has been designated as the home of the new state courthouse.

. Exchange East: Located between Exchange and Oak streets, this site has frontage on Washington Street. Barrett noted that this site is not a likely candidate because it belongs to multiple private owners.

. Union Station: Now the home of the Penobscot Plaza along Washington Street, the site that once housed the city’s railroad station not only is developed, it also belongs to multiple owners. Barrett said those factors made the site an unlikely candidate.

. Oak Street: Located east of Oak Street and south of Hancock Street, this site overlooks the Penobscot River. It also has multiple private owners and, as such, is a less likely option than some of the city-owned parcels, Barrett said.


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