A seven story building with condominiums, retail stores and offices could be built on Saccarappa Park if city councilors accept the recommendation of a committee.

The Saccarappa Park Development Committee recommended last week that the city accept a proposal from Cape Builders and Remodeling – one of four bids submitted to the city March 15 to develop the park. Since then, the committee has been examining the proposals and meeting with each of the developers.

In the end, Erik Carson, the city’s director of economic development, said the committee was unanimous in its decision. “It was a tough decision in that the committee wanted to ensure the development met the criteria” established in the request for proposals and “brought something new to downtown,” Carson said. “I think it’s going to be a very exciting project and will bring a lot more 24-hour life to the core of the city.”

Carson said one of the driving forces in developing the park was to help build an 18-hour city where people work and also live downtown. He said the project would represent the first real apartment building on Main Street.

“I think it’s going to engender additional development projects,” he said.

City Councilor John O’Hara agreed, saying he thought the project would help draw the two sides of the river together. “It now makes the city look and have a feeling that we are one town as opposed to one side of the river developing at a higher rate than the other side,” he said.

The proposal envisions a larger structure and a smaller structure with retail space on the first floor, office space on the second and condominiums on the upper floors. The condominiums would cost between $250,000 and $300,000.

The plan calls for two buildings no higher than One Riverfront Plaza and maintaing a view between the buildings from Main Street to the Presumpscot River. The development will be named Saccarappa Terrace.

An underground garage would house 59 parking spaces and another 15 spaces along the Bridge Street Spur would double as public retail parking during the day and condominium parking at night. Carson said, given the physical constraints of downtown, shared parking space was a necessity.

Carson said the choice was the “most bold” of the four bids, which included five-story combination use building, a three-story professional office building and a one-story retail shopping center.

“Pretty bold,” said City Councilor Ed Symbol, who lent his efforts through part of the committee process. Symbol said his main concern was that the project actually get built, but it would be “a tremendous boon for downtown” if it did.

The mayor has received the recommendation and will pass the recommendation onto the city council, which has final say over approval of the development.

Carson said he wants “to move this along” and hopefully break ground in the fall or early next spring.

A seven story building with condominiums, retail stores and offices could be built on Saccarappa Park if city councilors accept the recommendation of a committee.

The Saccarappa Park Development Committee recommended last week that the city accept a proposal from Cape Builders and Remodeling – one of four bids submitted to the city March 15 to develop the park. Since then, the committee has been examining the proposals and meeting with each of the developers.

In the end, Erik Carson, the city’s director of economic development, said the committee was unanimous in its decision. “It was a tough decision in that the committee wanted to ensure the development met the criteria” established in the request for proposals and “brought something new to downtown,” Carson said. “I think it’s going to be a very exciting project and will bring a lot more 24-hour life to the core of the city.”

Carson said one of the driving forces in developing the park was to help build an 18-hour city where people work and also live downtown. He said the project would represent the first real apartment building on Main Street.

“I think it’s going to engender additional development projects,” he said.

City Councilor John O’Hara agreed, saying he thought the project would help draw the two sides of the river together. “It now makes the city look and have a feeling that we are one town as opposed to one side of the river developing at a higher rate than the other side,” he said.

The proposal envisions a larger structure and a smaller structure with retail space on the first floor, office space on the second and condominiums on the upper floors. The condominiums would cost between $250,000 and $300,000.

The plan calls for two buildings no higher than One Riverfront Plaza and maintaing a view between the buildings from Main Street to the Presumpscot River. The development will be named Saccarappa Terrace.

An underground garage would house 59 parking spaces and another 15 spaces along the Bridge Street Spur would double as public retail parking during the day and condominium parking at night. Carson said, given the physical constraints of downtown, shared parking space was a necessity.

Carson said the choice was the “most bold” of the four bids, which included five-story combination use building, a three-story professional office building and a one-story retail shopping center.

“Pretty bold,” said City Councilor Ed Symbol, who lent his efforts through part of the committee process. Symbol said his main concern was that the project actually get built, but it would be “a tremendous boon for downtown” if it did.

The mayor has received the recommendation and will pass the recommendation onto the city council, which has final say over approval of the development.

Carson said he wants “to move this along” and hopefully break ground in the fall or early next spring.