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Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center president urges council to support community center
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A display of historical items at the Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center. ANN FISHER PHOTO
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Fri, Mar 6, 2026 |
The Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center may only span two rooms in the city’s Community Center, but they are full of artifacts and displays that chronicle the city’s rich history over the decades.
Diane Cyr, board president of the BCHC, wants to ensure the archives continue to be preserved for the future, and is asking city residents and government officials to pledge their support to not only the BCHC, but the community center itself.
As the Biddeford City Council considers which projects to fund with a $6 million bond voters approved in November, Cyr, board president of the Biddeford Cultural and Heritage Center, is advocating for the community center to be included in any plans. The city has compiled a list of potential upgrades and renovations that could be funded by the bond money.
City councilors held ward meetings to discuss neighborhood priorities and community concerns, along with investments needed in the city’s recreation facilities.
Biddeford recreation staff also encouraged feedback at the meetings on how to use the bond to fund improvements to the city’s recreation facilities. An online survey is available as well.
Cyr spoke at a Feb.17 public hearing to urge city officials to prioritize the Alfred Street community center. According to Cyr, challenges to be met in the BCHC alone include water damage, fallen ceilings, fluctuating temperatures and poor internet connectivity.
“There’s no way to control the heat,” Cyr said. “We open windows when, in the other room, it’s cold. “Temperature control is a big deal with archives.”
In addition, “The power doesn’t work on one wall, the roof leaks, and the internet is spotty.”
When asked how much it would cost to address the issues, Cyr said she is unsure, but the center definitely needs a new heating system, and the all-volunteer board is considering a heat pump to address temperature control.
Next door at the St. Louis Alumni Association, the room is freezing cold all the time, Cyr said, and there are problems in other parts of the building as well.
“People always put this building last, but it serves so many people,” Cyr said.
Activities and organizations include every segment of the community, she said – child care, recreational camps, school sports, veterans groups, AA, Meals on Wheels, elder services and adult education, to name a few.
“So the building does a lot of good for everyone,” she said. “I suggested not forgetting this building; I think it should be top of the list, (but) they keep setting it aside.”
Biddeford Recreation Director Lisa Thompson said she also hopes part of the recreation bond will be used to upgrade the community center and address priorities in the capital improvement budget. These include replacing the roof; a new HVAC system; ADA compliance; and code violations. The parking lot "desperately needs to be fixed,” Thompson said. The cost to remediate the issues is “very fluid,” she said.
Brad Favreau, the city’s economic development coordinator under whose department the Historic Development Commission falls, said the commission is not taking a position on recreation funding for the community center. That’s because the circa 1888 building is outside the “determined downtown historic district” and is not on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Generally our boundaries are three downtown historic places,” Favreau said.
The local historic commission could designate the Richard J. Martin Community Center as a local landmark and apply for the national register, “but that requires resources the commission doesn’t have at this time.
“It’s something the commission would certainly like to do considering the age and location and integrity,” Favreau added.
Ann Fisher is a freelance journalist based in Southern Maine. She can be reached at 432-7483