The Community and Economic Development Authority has received a $10,000 grant to pay for drawings of a redesigned Merchants Way.

CEDA received the state grant through the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development to bring the "Streetscape" project, the first phase of which was just completed on Main Street, to Merchants Way in downtown Wareham.

"What we're trying to do with this grant is to create a vision for what it might look like," CEDA Director Salvador Pina said of Merchants Way.

An architect will listen to the thoughts and ideas of town officials and citizens, take into consideration the needs of Merchants Way, and come up with a concept drawing for what it could look like.

The town must determine what to do with the buildings currently facing Main Street, how to use the railroad, how to exploit the waterfront, and how to get a mix of storefronts to the area that will attract visitors, said Pina.

Pina's goal is to make downtown Wareham a destination for tourists and residents of the surrounding towns.

"In order to do that, you have to take advantage of your water and you have to beautify" Merchants Way, he explained. "We're trying to create a commercial district that will attract tourists, but in order to do that, you need something to do."

Pina has a few thoughts that he and the CEDA Board of Directors will present to the architect.

"I think it will be really advantageous to make Merchants Way and portions of Main Street one-way," Pina explained, adding that doing so would make the area safer for pedestrians. "Safety first. I can't emphasize that enough."

Pina wants to explore adding outdoor seating for downtown restaurants, as well as adding a kayak launch to the river and tying in the use of Besse Park.

"I keep seeing a gazebo [at Besse Park] where we could have concerts," Pina said. "The big idea is that you want to visit Wareham Village."

High on Pina's priority list is involving the community in the process of the Merchants Way redesign.

"It's my hope that we can work with the consultant in a way that we can maximize public input," Pina said. "The goal is to capture the character of the town."

Once the architect's work is done, the town can begin doing site surveys with engineers to determine what will actually work for the location.

Wareham was one of 15 South Coast communities that received grants as part of the "South Coast Rail Economic Development and Land Use Corridor Plan." Only 31 communities — those deemed to have "priority areas for protection and development" — were eligible.