BANGOR, Maine — A Bangor property developer says he plans on keeping the name the same when he reopens the old Pine Tree Inn property, formerly part of Dow Air Force Base.
John Kearns of R&K Construction shared a few renderings and designs for the 25,000-square-foot property during a Business and Economic Development Committee meeting Tuesday night.
“We thought [keeping the name] was important and had some significance” because of the name’s familiarity with members of the military who used to stay there when it was part of the base.
The two-story building at 22 Cleveland St. will be renovated and updated to serve as a 42-unit extended stay hotel. The rooms will include kitchenettes and full baths. It will offer a “medium-term” rental option meant to attract visiting doctors, traveling nurses and other professionals looking for a place to stay during extended visits to Bangor.
Karnes said R&K also does property management and regularly receives inquiries from people looking for a place to stay for two to four weeks. Before this, he didn’t have anything to offer them, he told the committee.
The city issued a request for proposals in late 2014 looking for a developer to take on the project. As a result of that search, the city drafted a development agreement with R&K Construction.
Karnes will pay $10,000 for the property and invest at least $900,000 in the project, according to his agreement with the city.
The facility was on base property in the 1950s as living quarters for military personnel. When the base was decommissioned in 1969, it was passed on to the Maine Army National Guard and Army Reserve.
More recently, the building housed military retirees, guard and reserve personnel, according to city officials. The city acquired the property in 2012 from the University of Maine System, which had taken over the deed from the federal government.
As part of the deal with the city, Karnes was supposed to open for business by the end of March, but he requested that be pushed back after a series of delays. Now, he said he plans to complete the renovations by October, if not sooner. The City Council is likely to approve that request for an extension during its next meeting.
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