The question of whether the University of New England’s pier proposal can proceed will be up for debate Wednesday night at a public hearing of the Saco River Corridor Commission.
The SRCC’s hearing is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Saco Community Center.
The pier would be located on the Saco River, adjacent to the Arthur P. Girard Marine Science building, and would be used for year-round research and aquaculture projects, the university has said.
The proposal was initially approved by the SRCC in September 2024, and the university was given two years to complete the project.
Since then, though, the project has been repeatedly delayed. In several discussions before the Biddeford Planning Board and City Council, some city officials and residents have raised concerns that the project contradicts a previous SRCC decision and would harm local fishermen.
Residents called into question a 2001 SRCC decision that established a 250-foot buffer zone along UNE’s section of the riverfront, arguing that the university ignored the buffer zone in order to continue with pier construction.
Mooring holders, who are primarily commercial fishermen, have also had concerns about having to move their moorings. They have said up to seven moorings would have to be moved if the pier was built, while UNE says only two moorings would move.
In December 2025, Biddeford filed a complaint for review that called on the York County Superior Court to overturn the SRCC’s decision to allow UNE to proceed with the project.
That complaint was thrown out in March, but the City Council then enacted a moratorium that would keep UNE from doing any work on the pier proposal.
The moratorium is now up, but so is UNE’s two-year period in which to complete the pier project.
Now, it is up to the SRCC to decide whether the university can continue the project. UNE has filed an extension request that seeks to extend its deadline to complete its work by Sept. 13, 2028.
Wednesday night’s meeting is open to the public.