Downtown Augusta as seen from the east side of the Kennebec River, south of Memorial Bridge.

The Vickery, left, and Doughty buildings on Water Street in Augusta were among the 12 featured during a walking tour of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in May 2014. The city’s historic downtown is visually striking.

Before and after renovations to Market Square in downtown Augusta, seen in these photos taken, on Thursday July, 2014, top and May, 2013 from the windows of Macomber, Farr and Whitten.

Colby College President David Greene and Waterville Mayor Nick Isgro walk down Main Street in downtown Waterville on Sept. 29. Colby, behind Greene, has committed to helping revitalize downtown.

The former Levine’s building on Main Street in Waterville, vacant for years, is one of three Colby College has bought and plans to renovate.

Charlie Giguere’s downtown Waterville building on Main Street in Waterville is one example of the good things happening. Giguere has turned upper floors of his business, Silver Street Tavern, into offices and apartments, furthering the view that upper floors downtown are good places to live and work.

Colby College students begin to set up large billboards on to a wall that will become an art mural during an orientation project in downtown Waterville on Sept. 3. The student project was part of the college’s commitment to the city.

Bill Mitchell stands between the two buildings he recently bought on Common Street in Waterville, where he plans to lease for businesses and office space.

Traffic moves through the intersection of Spring Street, Water Street and Main Street in downtown Waterville . The intersection will get you to downtown, but newcomers to town may feel like they’re Apollo 13: they’re orbiting downtown, but will never land in it.

Downtown Augusta’s striking victorian architecture deserves some attention.

This panorama made from several photos taken in 2014 shows the Colonial Theater in Augusta. The theater, on Water Street in downtown Augusta, is being renovated by a nonprofit group.

Richard Parkhurst looks at the view of the Kennebec River from out the window of 287 Water St. in downtown Augusta on Oct. 9. Parkhurst bought the building after the former owner evicted the tenants rather than bring it up to code.