WESTBROOK — Milone & MacBroom has been chosen from a field of 11 applicants to design downtown’s new Westbrook Common.

The City Council Monday awarded at first reading a $95,510 design contract for the engineering and consulting firm to redesign the aging Westbrook Common, also known as Blue Note Park. Second reading and final action is set for March 4. The design work is being funded with money from the Westbrook Environmental Improvement Corporation.

Westbrook Common was constructed in the early 1970s during the city’s urban renewal period as a public gathering space, but decades later is under used and in need of updates. Bringing it into the 21st century is one of Economic Development Director Daniel Stevenson’a 2019 goals.

“Underutilized public spaces, such as Westbrook Common or Congress Square in Portland, benefit most greatly from the community’s commitment to programming and occupying the space, thereby infusing it with a sense of purpose and vibrancy,” Maine Regional Manager John Q. Adams and Vice President Anthony Ciriello Jr., said in the winning firm’s application.

Milone & MacBroom, with offices in Portland, “will work closely with the city, downtown and arts organizations, business owners, and the community to ensure that the revitalization of Westbrook Common sets the stage for an exciting downtown destination space,” the application said.

In a Feb. 22 correspondence to council, Stevenson and City Planner Jennie Franceschi, two members of the team that chose Milone & MacBroom, said the firm “brings extensive experience in downtown revitalization and public infrastructure projects” and “has a sound understanding of our downtown redevelopment goals.”

“We ended up with, I think, a really terrific firm,” Discover Downtown Westbrook Executive Director Abigail Cioffi, a member of the selection team, told councilors this week. 

Once it gets final council approval, the firm will begin work and start connecting with direct stakeholders. Concept alternatives and their cost estimates are scheduled to be unveiled in April. A community vetting session will be held in June and final concept and cost estimates will be presented in July. Additional community outreach would be held at that time.

Preliminary designs would begin to be drafted in August, with permitting and assessment work to be done in fall 2019. Final design would begin in November and presented to the public in December. The project would go out to bid in early 2020.

The goal is to have the project completed by fall 2020. Stevenson is trying to secure grants and donations from private organizations, such as the Cornelia Warren Community Foundation, to fund the project’s construction, which he expects to cost upwards of $500,000. 

Michael Kelley can be reached at 780-9106 or mkelley@keepmecurrent.com or on Twitter @mkelleynews.

Milone and MacBroom is the recommended choice to redesign the Westbrook Common urban park on Main Street in downtown Westbrook.