New sidewalks in Dunstan could help the rejuvenation of the whole neighborhood.

“Dunstan is going through a redevelopment phase right now,” said Scarborough Town Manager Ron Owens.

On Wednesday, the Town Council will hold a first reading on a plan to replace the sidewalks along Route 1 from Broadturn Road to Queens Drive – a project that’s been talked about for the past five years. Owens said $500,000 has already been set aside by the town to pay for the project, which, he believes will cost about $1 million in total.

Meetings were held throughout the summer with residents and business owners to discuss the new sidewalks, which will be set farther back from the street than the existing sidewalks. According to Owens, the feedback was “generally positive.”

The town also plans on planting trees along the sidewalk, creating an esplanade.

The impetus for the project came from former councilors Patrick O’Reilly and Bob Patch, along with developer Elliott Chamberlain’s Great American Neighborhood project that was planned for Dunstan. The original housing development has been scaled back to become Dunstan Crossing, a mix of single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums, and Owens said he still expects pedestrian traffic to increase in the neigborhood in the coming years.

According to Owens, the sidewalks are unsafe and people avoid them because they are afraid to walk so close to Route 1.

If the project is adopted by the council, Owens said, construction should begin next spring.