BANGOR – With help from the watercolor vision of a local artist, the upscale Belvedere on the RiverPark condominium residences moved a little closer to fruition Wednesday evening with an unveiling of four paintings at the University of Maine Museum of Art.

Belvedere Associates – a collaboration between Bangor real estate broker Mo Fer and Brian Ames of the architectural and engineering firm Ames A/E – commissioned Hampden artist Bonnie Alpander to create artistic yet realistic views both inside and out of the proposed building. Fer said he hopes to break ground as early as September.

“A lot of little things are contingent upon others, so it’s amazing how quickly a week can turn into a month,” Fer said. “But, already, more than half of the units are spoken for and tonight was only supposed to be the beginning of our marketing campaign.”

Fer said word of mouth has been instrumental in generating excitement about the Belvedere, which comes from the Italian “belle vedere” for “beautiful view.”

The number of condos will range from 30 to 32 – to allow for enlargement on the penthouse level – but Fer said reservations have been made on 17 so far.

Alpander’s art, which Fer and Ames plan to use in brochures for the units, should help spread the word even more, he said.

“We wanted to choose an artist who could combine reality and fantasy, because at this stage it’s still a fantasy – the building isn’t there yet,” he said.

Alpander, who works from her studio in Hampden and has work featured at the Blue Hill Bay Gallery and the Northport Landing Gallery, said generating images for the proposed condominium was a challenge.

“When I’m approached about something, I always say I can do it, which sometimes gets me into more trouble,” she said. “But now, every time I drive by the area where the building is going to be, I get goose bumps.”

An audience of prospective buyers, donors and prominent Bangor businesspeople enjoyed refreshments while Fer, Ames and project architect Patrick Casey delivered a presentation on the history of the condominium building and how it will fit into the future of the Bangor waterfront.

“Among the many plans for the waterfront, we always felt an important piece would be the residential component,” Casey said. “The views are going to be the big draw.”

Four different types of condos will be available in the $5.3 million, L-shaped Belvedere complex, ranging from 1-bedroom, 1,165-square-foot spaces to 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,900-square-foot suites with a separate dining area. Prices range from $200,000 to $400,000.

Keeping with the theme of attractive scenery, all of the units will have a balcony overlooking the Penobscot River.

Bangor urologist Dr. Ali Khavari and his wife, Sharine, have made one of the 17 reservations for a unit, and both said they are exited about the prospect of living on the waterfront.

“This is going to change the downtown waterfront drastically,” Ali Khavari said. “What really drew us to this was not just the space, but the potential.”