City celebrates the grand opening of its newest public park

posted on 7/17/2026

Decades in the making, Nebi Park, Dover's new waterfront public park, opened to the public on Tuesday after a grand opening ceremony.

Nebi Park anchors the city’s Waterfront District along the Cochecho River, designed to provide gathering spaces, river access, recreation amenities, and a public pavilion. Named after the Abenaki word for “bend in the river,” the park is a centerpiece of Dover’s larger waterfront redevelopment and is intended to connect downtown residents and visitors more directly to the riverfront experience.

Mayor Dennis Shanahan cut the ribbon, officially welcoming the public to enjoy all the amenities the park has to offer. Mayor Shanahan also cut the ribbon to the new private development, the Truette.

“The development of Dover’s Waterfront District is a success story nearly forty years in the making,” said Mayor Shanahan during his remarks before the ribbon cutting. "Dover residents have advocated for the revitalization of waterfront since the early 1980s, and the Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee and Cathartes turned that vision into reality."

The city-owned waterfront was home to public works, city vehicles and school buses, and wastewater treatment. In the early 1980s, some began advocating for the relocation of the treatment plant and public works facilities, restoring public access and creating a riverfront park. Those changes came piece by piece: a new wastewater treatment plant off Middle Road in 1991 allowed the old plant to be demolished; Community Services moved to Mast Road in 2001; and in 2002, demolition of the old River Street public works facilities began. Later came dredging, shoreline work, new access and the Makem Bridge.

"Many have given their time and energy to this lengthy effort and we should all be proud of the magnificent result," said Dana Lynch during his remarks. Lynch, a long time member of the Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee, has been dedicated supporter of the Dover waterfront for more than 30 years. "While Nebi Park is a true testament to the resilience, determination and patience of the entire Dover community over the past four decades, it is also a gift for the enjoyment of future generations."

The park is part of the larger 29-acre Cochecho Waterfront Development, a public-private redevelopment initiative intended to transform formerly industrial and municipal land into a mixed-use neighborhood with housing, commercial space, public streets, docks, and open space.

Planning for the waterfront redevelopment accelerated in the late 2010s, when the City of Dover began soliciting redevelopment proposals in 2017. In 2018, developer Cathartes was selected as the preferred private development partner, and a formal development agreement was executed in 2019. The city simultaneously began designing the public realm components, including what would become Nebi Park and its waterfront pavilion.

The park itself was conceived as the civic centerpiece of the new Waterfront District — a publicly accessible riverfront green space featuring walking paths, shoreline access, a public pavilion, kayak and rowing amenities, landscaped gathering areas, and connections to downtown Dover. The design draws heavily on Dover’s industrial waterfront history and the river's natural curve. The name “Nebi,” derived from an Abenaki word meaning “bend in the river,” reflects an effort to recognize the area's Indigenous history while reconnecting the city to its waterfront.

Construction of the public infrastructure and park began in earnest in 2023 alongside major shoreline stabilization, utility relocation, roadway construction, and private mixed-use development. By 2024 and 2025, the pavilion design, waterfront landscaping, docks, and public amenities were taking shape as part of Dover’s broader vision to create a modern riverfront district centered around recreation, housing, and public access to the Cochecho River. 

For more information about the park, contact Dover Recreation at 603-516-6401.