LEWISTON — Sunnyside Park on Winter Street has been considered a neighborhood asset for years, but its aging amenities are largely maintained by local volunteers.

On Tuesday, the city and engineering firm Gorrill Palmer will host a “spark session” to glean ideas about how to improve the park. Should the city bring back an ice rink, install new playground equipment or add more gardens?

Officials are hoping the meeting, from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Lewiston Public Works, will provide a narrower list of potential improvements as the city also looks at how the area ties into its larger long-term goals of connecting the area to Simard-Payne Memorial Park via an extended riverwalk.

Among the options are improvements to the riverside trail, which winds from the park past Riverside Cemetery and farther north.

The park, which features two basketball courts, a swing set and multipurpose field, lies in a wooded area along the Androscoggin River at the end of Whipple Street, off Main Street.

“A true gem in Back Bay Lewiston, Sunnyside Park is a precious and valued resource for our entire community, and especially for the Sunnyside neighborhood,” Ward 1 City Councilor Josh Nagine said. “I’m looking forward to friends and neighbors engaging to inform a citizen-driven action plan for improvements and updates at Sunnyside Park and strongly encourage residents with any interest to participate in the process.”

Last year, the council approved roughly $60,000 toward a design plan for the park, on top of another $70,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding that had already been allocated.

During a meeting last year when the funds were approved, Public Works Director Kevin Gagne said the park is popular, but is aging.

“The use could be better,” he said. “We’d like to do it comprehensively, thoughtfully and with public input.”

The park was also one of seven locations where the city installed public bathrooms last year.

At the same meeting, Nagine said some of the playground equipment is “incredibly outdated.” Going into the process, he said he’s concerned that the list of improvements will take a long time to fund and delay improvements that are needed now.

One item Nagine said should be included in the talks is a focus on drainage issues in order to make a large field useable.

“Right now it’s a soggy, wet space next to the cemetery,” he said.

Nagine said he’d love to see the large field “activated for area youth and adults,” whether that’s a soccer field or baseball diamonds.

According to a list provided by the city, ideas for possible improvements include turning the hill at the park’s entrance into a natural play element, a new entrance with proper signs, hopscotch and foursquare games at the basketball court, a pollinator garden, new trees, new play equipment for different age levels and picnic tables.

Officials said Gorrill Palmer will go into more detail about ideas from an initial meeting last year, and the next steps in the planning and design that will take place before renovations.

Former Councilor Linda Scott, who lives in the neighborhood, has been passionate about the park and its upkeep even after her time on the council.
This past June, she was part of an effort to spruce up the park, installing new basketball nets, planting flowers, painting benches, covering graffiti and more.

She said she’d like to see new benches, playground equipment and a focus on the field.

“The neighborhood has many. young families and this park gets lots of use as well as being the beginning of the riverwalk,” she said.

Mayor Carl Sheline said Monday that Lewiston’s parks are an “integral part of our city and I’m happy that local residents have the opportunity to weigh in about what they want to see in a neighborhood park.”

“Sunnyside Park and adjoining Riverside Cemetery are Lewiston gems and I’m excited to see what’s possible,” he said.

Staff has requested $600,000 to put toward the improvements in the 2027 Capital Improvement Plan. Another $100,000 requested in Community Development Block Grant money has not yet been awarded.

Lewiston Public Works is at 103 Adams Ave. Those unable to attend may email their comments to [email protected].