This document presents a vision plan to revitalize the village core of Freeport, Maine by enhancing its existing strengths as a retail destination and adding complementary activities like restaurants, culture, entertainment, and outdoor recreation. The plan recommends developing a trademark for Freeport, improving signage and transportation infrastructure, promoting compatible development that expands retail and mixed uses, and continuing streetscape and marketing improvements. The goal is to differentiate Freeport and strengthen it as a premier tourist destination by capitalizing on its unique attributes as a walkable New England village close to outdoor recreation.

1. Vision 2010

2. Vision 2010
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This Vision Document reinforces key principles for The Vision presented within this plan will probably
revitalization of Freeport’s Village Core resulting never be constructed exactly as illustrated. In fact,
from public meetings, committee and consultant the purpose of this document is to identify the
work done on this project, during the past year. issues that must be resolved to successfully
implement the Vision and set forth goals and
The primary principle of this Vision Plan is that the principles to guide their resolution. In selected
retail core of Freeport is the Village’s greatest cases this document also adopts broad, directional
strength. Reinvigorating and enhancing this asset recommendations and describes potential
with complementary activities in the following scenarios that fit within those recommendations.
areas will help Freeport realize its goal of being a As one reads this document, it’s important to keep
true “Tourist Destination.” These ancillary activities in mind that the final resolution of these issues
include: and the adoption of specific recommendations will
be accomplished during Phase II of the Vision
• Restaurants 2010 project.
• Culture/History
• Entertainment The importance of this exercise is that it helps to
• Outdoor activities define important land planning and urban design
principles and represent them in a recognizable
A strategy based on these principles will help form. By incorporating these design principles in
differentiate Freeport in the retail center industry future decision-making, the FEDC believes that
both regionally and nationally. Capitalizing on future development can:
Freeport’s unique attributes of being a walkable
New England shopping village added to its close • Enhance and expand within the Village
proximity to all season outdoor recreation will Core of Freeport,
allow Freeport to create a more well rounded
experience for the over 4 million people who visit • Encourage new development that will be in
Freeport annually. It is an experience that no other character with the Village scale,
center can duplicate because it is rooted in the
history of the town, woven into a fabric of natural, • Discourage parking sprawl by stacking
civic and environmental features within the region, new parking,
and the State of Maine.
• Diversify and strengthen Freeport as a
The Village 2010 - Vision Plan for Freeport’s Village destination for tourists, shoppers and residents,
Core presents a look toward the future. It is not a
detailed Master Plan, in the traditional sense. The • Strengthen the tax base within the Village Core
purpose of the Vision Plan is to set broad boundaries by encouraging higher and better
guidelines that establish principles for new use of existing lands within the district.
development over the next decade. Neither the
Town nor the FEDC intends to act as developer for
ideas proposed. However, the Vision Plan should
provide a valuable framework to help guide the
refinement of zoning and planning regulations for
the district, and focus public and private
development into identified areas of new
opportunity. Issues like TIFF financing or parking
are likely topics for future detailed discussion.
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3. Vision 2010
The Village 2010 Plan recommends several points of action:
• Develop a trademark for the Town of Freeport, • Develop a Traffic management plan
such as “Gateway to Maine’s Great Outdoors,” which includes:
and initiate a marketing and advertisement plan 1. International directional signage to
that focuses on Freeport as the hub for regional Village – (implement the plan in
attractions, building on Freeport’s strengths: process by 2002),
1. Retail destination – LL Bean, 2. Peak period remote employee parking
outlet shopping, regulations and incentive program.,
2. Eco-tourism – land, sea and air – Maine • Promote marketing to new tenants which are
Guides & Discovery Program compatible with the existing brands, enhancing
3. Cultural tourism – regional theaters, Freeport as a destination for retail by
museums and package passes encouraging the development of retail / mixed
4. Heritage tourism – Village history / use zones along Main Street:
museums, 1. Shopping,
2. Restaurants and Lodging
• Establish guidelines that will encourage and 3. Cultural / Historical Attractions,
enable the construction of shared use structured Entertainment, Outdoor Recreation
parking within the village, (in process)
Encourage parallel hospitality expansion and
• Proceed with a DOT transportation study and development to enhance conferencing and other
analysis including: opportunities within Freeport.
1. Site selection for the new Amtrak
Train Station within the village core The following diagram symbolizes how the Vision
area of Freeport, 2010 plan must provide a broad umbrella of
2. Peak period remote parking for employees, opportunity for the Village Core that will help to fill
3. Hotel / Inn / Motel / B&B shuttle bus, the primary and ancillary buckets of uses while
reinvigorating Freeport to become a premier end
• Establish guidelines for the design of parking destination.
structures in scale with the historic mill
structures that were once within the district.
• Continue with Streetscape improvements
for Main Street and downtown streets, plazas
and courtyards.
• Continue in the marketing of the village
core to strengthen Main Street retail, and
mixed-use development.
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4. Vision 2010
Reinvigorate Freeport to become a premier end destination.
VISION 2010
Lodging Cultural SHOPPING Entertainment Outdoor
Restaurants Attractions Recreation
Next Steps for Vision 2010
Phase 2 of the Vision 2010 process will focus on the following activities
• Identifying core productivity issues
• Continued exploration of existing attributes of Freeport that are not being leveraged
to their fullest
• Setting long term marketing strategy goals
• Identification of investments to support the marketing plan
• Engage the public in the process.
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