DOVER — The city's new Waterfront District was decades in the making. Now, it has come to life, with the official opening of the public Nebi Park and the completion of the first phase of developer Cathartes' mixed-use project, The Truette.
More than 100 people gathered at the new public pavilion at the 3-acre Nebi Park on July 14 to celebrate with a ribbon cutting. The city's new park offers the community a riverwalk with sweeping views of the Cocheco River, a public pavilion, a paddle dock and various seating options, to name a few amenities.
"For the residents of Dover, welcome to your Nebi Park," Dover Mayor Dennis Shanahan said.
Cathartes' development, The Truette, has brought more than 200 residential units and commercial spaces to the district. This includes Topolino, the new restaurant opened by James Beard Award winning chef Evan Hennessey.
What does Nebi Park have to offer for residents? Kayaking, trails, more
The public pavilion has an upper level with two unisex bathrooms and will offer Adirondack chairs and tables for people to gather, according to Chris Parker, deputy city manager.
On the lower level of the pavilion, Cochecho River Recreation will offer kayak and canoe rentals for river access from a paddle sports dock, which is handicap-accessible, according to Parker. They'll also be offering opportunities for storage, said Parker, for people who have a canoe or kayak and want to rent space.
"I think that the diversity and the variety of areas and amenities is really going to show response to public requests over the years," Parker said.
Parker said there are benches throughout, including three swing benches overlooking the river, spaces for people in wheelchairs and picnic tables.
There are walking trails, said Parker, with ones which appear similar to sidewalks and function as such along River Street, and then there's a series of walkways, beginning at the park entrance, along the river. The walkways run to the plaza behind the pavilion, go by the paddle sports dock and into woods just below the nearby Maglaras Park. Parker said the more rural walkway by the river is "designed to give you a real up close and more natural feel as you walk through the park."
The park offers a few lawn areas with chairs, too, Parker said.
Waterfront District more than 30 years in the making
Dana Lynch, past chair of Dover's Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee, which guided the development, shared the history of the project.
"Look at this magnificent park and this beautiful pavilion, and look at what we have achieved as a community," said Lynch.
Lynch recognized members of CWDAC, "a group of dedicated and talented individuals who have made their mission to act as guardians of the community's vision throughout the planning, design, and construction of this entire waterfront restoration and revitalization effort."
Lynch said his first visit to where the new pavilion at Nebi Park is now located was in 1984. "The waterfront had become an area downtown that had succumbed to neglect and was bypassed by the urban renewal efforts of the 1970s. It's primary uses were the city's sewage treatment plant, the public works garage, school bus storage, and road salt piles."
He said he was asked to be a part of the waterfront task force in 1990 through his affiliation with the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce as he'd co-founded an engineering consulting firm. Through the task force, his eyes were opened to the possibilities for the reuse of city-owned land, and steps were taken in the 1990s to prepare the site for redevelopment.
"We have done this together. We should all be proud of this betterment of our community, and I would ask that to act upon this feeling of pride, let us make every effort to treat this public space with the honor and respect it deserves, ensuring its enjoyment for generations to come," Lynch said.
Meaning of Nebi Park name
Nebi is the Pennacook-Abenaki root word for "water." There is educational information on the back of the park's sign.
Shanahan has said the name goes back to the history of the area and how the river was used for trade, and the Indigenous people who used the seven waterways in the region for transportation. He said it's very important to recognize the people who were here before the European settlers.
A canoe sculpture is located near the public pavilion, and "this highlights the importance of the river and the people and the cargo it carried to those that lived before European settlement and ... the role that the river played in the city's expansion," Shanahan said at the park opening.
Denise and Paul Pouliot of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki People presented an Abenaki song at the ceremony.