The Grand Opening of the Midcoast Athletic and Recreation Complex will introduce a new skatepark to the community this Saturday, June 22. The skatepark, which Parks and Recreation Director Tom Farrell said is highly anticipated, replaces one that the town razed in the early 2000s to build Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary, Farrell said. Courtesy of Brunswick Parks and Recreation Department

Brunswick is set to open its new Midcoast Athletic and Recreation Complex, which features a new skatepark promised by the town years ago.

The Saturday grand opening will formally introduce the new park to the community four years after the town obtained the Brunswick Landing property in 2020. The design includes eight new pickleball courts, a skatepark and half-mile perimeter walking loop near the Recreational Center in Brunswick Landing, formerly Brunswick Naval Air Station.

“There is nothing more compelling than progress,” said Sally Costello, Brunswick Economic Development director and vice chairperson of the MARC Advisory Committee. “The Town of Brunswick is building this facility for its citizens and the greater community. We want to be part of their future health and wellness services.”

The features at the complex — some of which have already been growing in popularity with nearby residents and workers as the park finishes final landscaping touches — were years in the making, according to Costello.

During the development process, Costello said that the town conducted a community survey, which was mailed out to about 5,000 people in December 2021. It additionally pulled input from groups such as the Maine Pickleball Association and nearby towns.

“We took all the data that we got — quantitative and qualitative — about what we wanted to see out there,” Costello said. “And there were top elements that made it into what we could fit onto the [10-acre site]. So the three elements that we started with — the pickleball courts, the skatepark and the perimeter trail — were largely a function of the elements that people wanted to see right away.”

The project came with construction costs of $1.67 million, which was paid for through fundraising and state and local recovery funds, as well as other sources. The project didn’t pull from the town’s general fund or raise taxes, according to city officials.

The skatepark was also included to replace one that was razed in the early 2000s. The demolishment was done to build Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School, according to Costello and Parks and Recreation Director Tom Farrell. Including that feature in the design, Farrell said, was fulfilling a promise the town made years ago to replace the old park.

Farrell additionally said that the complex will address immediate needs of the nearby Cook’s Corner community, which has been a development hotspot in recent years.

“With all the new housing that’s out here, these facilities will be adjacent to many of the new people that are moving and living on the landing,” Farrell said. “It also provides wellness and health opportunities for the workforce that is employed out here and all the businesses that have started up on the landing.”

The new recreational complex will include eight pickleball courts. Courtesy of Brunswick Parks and Recreation Department