Tri-Town Recreation and Facilities Master Plan
Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments (AVCOG)
Economic Strategy
The AVCOG region covers over 4,200 square miles of forested mountains and fields carved by pristine lakes and rivers. The Twin Cities of Lewiston and Auburn, located in the southern portion of the district, share a combined population of 59,000 people, making it the largest hub in the region.
Fourth Economy was engaged to help the COG identify and review the region’s current recreation assets for opportunities and threats to inform implementation plan strategies.
Our Approach
Fourth Economy was engaged to help AVCOG identify and review the region’s current recreation assets for opportunities and threats to inform implementation plan strategies. The project included creating an asset inventory and strategies based on community engagement sessions and a survey. Fourth Economy created an implementation matrix for potential projects that incorporates factors such as level of impact, general timelines/logical phasing strategies to ensure the most efficient and sustainable achievement of the plan, and potential funding opportunities for implementation of plans or infrastructure needs. The goal of this implementation guide is to best set up the region, the municipalities, and other identified partners to pursue funding sources to carry out the Recreation and Facilities Master Plan.
The Results
Feedback from the community survey and build sessions informed strategies across several focus areas: Strengthening the Administrative Foundation for Supporting Recreation, Creating a Maintenance Strategy, Investing in Core Locations and Infrastructure to Ensure Year-Round Usability, Increasing Access to Outdoor Events and Spaces, and Supporting Programming for Youth and Seniors. An accompanying implementation matrix charted out responsibility, timeline, and developed means to measure impact. In addition to the actionable strategies and implementation matrix, the deliverable consisted of an asset map and strategic plan of recreation assets in the form of an interactive storymap.
Location
Androscoggin Valley, Maine