An empty storefront at 31 Centre St. in Bath became a community center the community craved during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the organizers won’t be keeping it around much longer. Kathleen O’Brien / The Times Record
Beacon Park, an indoor community center in downtown Bath where people can safely eat their take-out, warm up between errands and visit with friends safely, has been embraced by the community, but the organizers said they can’t wait to see it go when it closes next month.
Over 500 people have used the space each month since it opened in November 2020, according to Main Street Bath Executive Director Amanda McDaniel, but the organizers have no interest in continuing the park into the summer or next year.
“It was always supposed to be a temporary thing,” said McDaniel “We want it to be a success for what it is, but we want to never have to use it again.”
The center’s last day is Friday, April 30, according to McDaniel.
Main Street Bath, the local chapter of a national network that seeks to revitalize downtowns and promote economic development, partnered with the city, Sagadahock Real Estate Association and Sean Ireland, owner of Union + Co, a co-working office space in Bath, to bring the park to life. Ireland is in the process of purchasing the Grant Building from the Sagadahock Real Estate Association.
The indoor park opened in an empty storefront in the Grant Building at 31 Centre St. The space can accommodate up to 50 people at a time and has free Wi-Fi, an air filtration system and several distanced tables.
Although Ireland said he’s glad the center has been widely used and enjoyed, it was never meant to be a permanent addition to the downtown.
“Beacon Park was a response to COVID-19 and as a community, we’re planning for beyond COVID-19 now,” said Ireland. “This was an urgent need in the winter for businesses who couldn’t fit many people in their stores and people who were feeling isolated. This was always meant to be a stopgap measure, and it has been a smashing success.”
The space is filled with tables where people can eat their take-out food, meet a friend for coffee or warm up between errands while distancing themselves from others. Kathleen O’Brien / The Times Record
Bath Iron Works agreed to foot the utility bill for the space for six months and had a temporary station set up inside for recruiting potential employees and conducting interviews.
“Beacon Park has proven to be a great community asset, especially during this past winter,” BIW Spokesperson David Hench wrote in a statement Monday. “The work that Sagadahock Real Estate Association and Union + Co did with Main Street Bath and the city to make this safe, community space available represents that ‘We can do it’ spirit that makes Bath such a wonderful community to be part of.”
One wall of the indoor park features a mural that asks visitors “What lights up your life?” Post-It notes are available for people to add their responses to the wall. Dozens of notes dot the wall, each with unique messages or pictures that mention friends, family members, and pets. Several visitors have included Beacon Park in their response.
McDaniel and Ireland said the indoor park hasn’t had any issues and no COVID-19 cases are connected to the park.
“I’ve never seen a project go so smoothly with all community members taking responsibility for its success,” said McDaniel.
“People really saw it as their own, were very respectful, and we haven’t been a single problem,” added Ireland.
One wall of the indoor park features a mural that asks visitors “What lights up your life?” Post-It notes are available for people to add their responses to the wall. Kathleen O’Brien / The Times Record
Amanda Dean, a Renys employee, said she adopted Beacon Park as her temporary lunch room during the winter.
“I used to go to Waterfront Park for my lunch, but as it got colder I needed somewhere else to go,” said Dean. “With COVID-19, there’s nowhere to go.”
During her daily lunch breaks, Dean said she has seen patrons from all walks of life, from book clubs to teenagers, use the park.
“Beacon Park is a welcome addition to this area,” she said. “I think everyone who comes in appreciates it.”
Although she said she’ll miss the park once it closes, she said the waterfront “is calling my name” as the weather warms.
Trinity Sherwin of Bath stopped into Beacon Park to work remotely for the first time because, “I have cabin fever and needed to get out for a few hours.”
Although she hasn’t spent much time in the park, Sherwin said she thinks the space is “cool to have during this time,” but admitted it might not be “necessary if things were normal and we could go wherever we want.”
Regardless of whether it’s necessary as Maine begins to shed COVID-19 restrictions in the future, Sherwin said Beacon Park is “a cool addition to Bath and if they’d consider keeping it open, I think it’d be appreciated by the residents here.”
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