Payson Park Upgrades in Portland, ME
Project Representative: Alex Marshall, Portland Parks and Recreation
Back Row
Matt D_Errico 
Danny Houder 
Alexander Gaidola 
Kyle Kaserman 
Camden Sawyer
Payson Park has begun to see reduced functionality over the years because of a few factors. The park’s location between the two major roadways, Ocean Ave and Baxter Boulevard, means that the park is often used as a throughway, particularly for vehicles attempting to get onto I-295. Additionally, a few parts of the park such as at the sledding hill, the area along the multipurpose field and Arboretum Road, and the parking area by the public bathroom have had drainage problems such as perpetual wetness and standing water in some locations. The two major parking lots in the park also have degraded over time.
This improvement project aims to provide solutions to these problems as well as designs for new and improved amenities, including an improved skating pond, additional pedestrian pathways, and an open-air pavilion design. The outcome of the project is to improve the functionality of the park through increased pedestrian safety, pedestrian accessibility, and overall improvements to park amenities that will benefit the average park user.
