Nebi Park

INTRODUCTION

Nebi Park is Dover’s new waterfront public park anchoring 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.

HOURS OF OPERATION

• April 1 to Sept. 30: 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Oct. 1 to March 31: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

RULES

• Pets must be leashed.
• Absolutely no alcohol or drugs.
• No smoking within the Nebi Park Pavilion.
• Parking is provided along River Street.
• Trash and Recycling receptacles are provided for users of the park and pavilion.

HISTORY

Nebi Park emerged from Dover’s decades-long effort to reconnect the city with the Cochecho River waterfront after industrial decline and the relocation of the city’s wastewater treatment facility from the riverfront property. 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. The park will open in the summer of 2026.

For any questions or comments, please call the Dover Recreation Department at 603-516-6401.

Upcoming Events

The City of Dover and Cathartes will celebrate the opening of Nebi Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Nebi Park Pavilion, 28 River St.

Following the Nebi Park ceremony, attendees will walk across the street for a ribbon-cutting at The Truette, 31 River St.

The event is open to the public. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP in advance here.