PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Officials from the Presque Isle Recreation and Parks Department are developing plans to extend the bike and walking path to include a one-mile loop around Riverside Park and surrounding areas.
Right now the 4 ½ mile-long path, which was created in the 1980s, begins on North Street near the fire and police departments and moves past part of the new splash pad and playground area of Riverside Drive before running alongside Chapman Road and St. John Street.
The additional walkway will begin at the back entrance of the Sargent Family Community Center at 24 Chapman Road and loop around the entire area of the Riverside Drive recreational venues, which include the baseball and soccer fields and new playground and splash pad that opened last summer.
“We’re hoping that extending the path will connect more people with the community center and the recreational areas we have around it,” said Chris Beaulieu, director of Presque Isle Recreation and Parks.
Kevin Sipe, a member of the Recreation and Parks board of trustees, said they hope the extension helps leisurely recreation such as cycling and walking become more appealing for community members of all ages.
“With the back entrance, we hope to make the path more accessible to senior citizens who utilize the community center,” Sipe said. “Parents with young children could easily go for a walk or two around the loop while their children are at soccer or baseball practice.”
At this time, the Recreation and Parks Department is still working with engineers to develop a proposed design and do not yet know what the final project costs will be. But officials have been actively applying for grants and seeking out potential funds from private donors. Their tentative time frame for the project involves breaking ground in late July and early August and completing construction before the first snowfall of winter.
