Biddeford Pool gets new beach bathhouse

The storms of January 2024 caused devastating damage along many areas of Maine’s southern coast including Biddeford. However, on Wednesday residents were smiling and celebrating a small but significant repair of some of that damage with a ribbon cutting followed by a free barbecue at the opening of a newly built Pool Beach bathhouse at Biddeford Pool.

Several city officials, numerous staff members and dozens of area residents attended the event on a warm and sunny day at Gilbert R. Boucher Memorial Park, 1 Beachhouse Lane, where the new bathhouse and a beach parking lot are located. In addition to celebrating the new structure, event speakers praised the Public Works Department, which constructed the building at a significant savings to city taxpayers.

The facility replaces a former bathhouse that was damaged beyond repair during the 2024 winter storms, Recreation Director Lisa Thompson said. “We needed to replace the one we lost,” she said.

The 32 by 28 foot structure is “an essential facility for this area,” Thompson said at the ribbon cutting. Not only is it “beautiful,” she said, but also “it’s built to last.” The bathhouse is located on the opposite side of the parking lot which is further from the beach than where the building that was destroyed last year was located.

In addition to housing four bathroom stalls - two of which are ADA accessible - and an outdoor shower, the bathhouse contains two additional rooms, one that is a storage area for the beach lifeguards and another for the Recreation Department which will be responsible for cleaning and maintaining the facility.

But Thompson said, “What makes this building truly special is that it was built by the city for the city.”

Mayor Martin Grohman noted that the location is “traditionally where our community gathers” and where there is “a connection between the city proper and the beach community.” He said it is where “the next generation’s memories will be made.”

Grohman also lauded the “really great work” by PWD staffers who worked on the project. “It was built with heart by our own Public Works Department,” he said.

Public Works Department Director Jeff Demers thanked the mayor and the City Council for “having the faith in the team” to successfully complete the project.

During his tenure at the helm of Public Works, Demers said, he has hired trusted staff who are skilled in construction, plumbing and electrical work so the department could handle similar projects at cheaper rates than hiring outside firms.

The outside bid price for the bathhouse was $222,487; city staff with local vendors did the work for$148,000, Demers said. The bathhouse pump station, which city staff also constructed and installed had a bid price estimate of $600,000;city staff with local vendors did the work for $145,250. All in all, the project, at slightly more than $293,250 was completed under the city allowed price tag of $340,000 for both the pump station and new building.

His staff, Demers said, has also completed a lot or repairs at the city’s beaches caused by the 2024 winter storms at a significant saving to the city. He added that the Public Works Department will be conducting repairs on the Biddeford Riverwalk wall that was severely damaged in October 2021. That will save the city approximately $2 million than if an outside firm did the work, he said.

At the ribbon cutting, Demers said, “We look forward to more projects like this to help the taxpayers of Biddeford.”

Dina Mendros is a freelance writer and lives in Saco.