City & Parks Conservancy to Break Ground on New Waterfront Park

After more than five years of planning and fundraising, the City of Portland and the Portland Parks Conservancy will hold a groundbreaking for Phase 1 of a new waterfront park currently referred to as Portland Harbor Common. The event will take place on site on Friday, April 10th at 11am.

Portland Harbor Common is the vision of the late Richard “Dick” Barringer, the first director of the Bureau of Public Lands, former commissioner of the Department of Conservation, former state planning director, and a co-founder of the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service. Dick dedicated much of his life to protecting Maine's outdoors for the enjoyment of all.

Dick and his team first proposed the Common in 2020 and have since worked tirelessly with the City of Portland, the Portland Parks Conservancy and many others to bring the project to life. Sadly, Dick passed away in October 2025, just months before the April 10th groundbreaking.

The 3.5 acre site sits on the former queuing lines for the now-defunct Nova Scotia ferry and was temporarily designated for parking in the intervening years. Over the next six months, the lot will be transformed into a public greenspace that includes walking and biking trails, trees, native plantings, lawn areas, hardscape areas for event space or food truck activation, lighting, and parking for nearby water dependent uses. The City’s Public Art Committee is commissioning a significant new installation for the space. The new park is expected to open by the end of 2026.

The groundbreaking brings together members of the original Barringer team, partners, City officials and project supporters. The Portland Parks Conservancy spearheaded a fundraising effort that has secured more than $2.5M for this project. Key funding includes a Congressionally Directed Spending grant sponsored by Senator Angus King; generous support from David E. Shaw, Dick Barringer and his wife Martha Freeman, and Maine Community Bank, among dozens of others; and an Urban and Community Forestry grant from Project Canopy.

“This new park will invite the public to gather by the water to take in the views, to enjoy local food, and to take part in cultural events that will bring us together,” said Ethan Hipple, Director of the Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department. “At a time when this area is seeing rapid changes and development, this space will preserve the public’s access to the waterfront for generations to come.”

“This project transforms a crumbling surface parking lot into a beautiful new park in one of the most prominent and scenic locations in all of Portland,” said Jack Phillips, Executive Director of the Portland Parks Conservancy. “The Conservancy is thrilled to be part of the team that has created this new space for thousands of annual visitors to enjoy.”

Construction in 2026 represents Phase 1 of a broader effort to transform the eastern waterfront into an extensive new park extending from Maine State Pier to the new Portland Foreside development. Additional phases will focus primarily on the area east of Ocean Gateway. National urban parks leader Trust for Public Land has signed on as a partner to support park design, fundraising and community engagement. The team - the City, Portland Parks Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, and other community members - is actively seeking funds for design and construction for additional phases of the project.

Portland Harbor Common is the temporary name for the new space. A Naming Committee consisting of City officials recently solicited suggestions from the public for a permanent name and will make a recommendation to the City’s Sustainability and Transportation Committee in the coming weeks. The City Council will then need to approve the final selection.

To support the completion of Portland Harbor Common, consider a donation to the Portland Parks Conservancy by visiting www.portlandparksconservancy.org.