ISLAND FALLS, Maine — Southern Aroostook economic development planners believe Island Falls’ four-season outdoor recreation blueprint will draw overnight visitors to the region.
The longterm, multi-phase project includes a grant-funded downtown riverfront park with a pedestrian bridge and amphitheater and nearly 70 miles of an Outdoor Sport Institute-guided trail system.
”[They] are reinforcing southern Aroostook’s pitch as a four-season outdoor destination,” said Johanna Johnston, executive director of the Southern Aroostook Development Corporation. “From an economic-development perspective, that’s exactly the type of catalytic infrastructure SADC is interested in; projects that spark private investment around dining, lodging, retail, and events.”
Johnston, who presented Island Falls’ coordinated plans Wednesday to the corporation board, stressed the importance of the transformative initiative designed to enhance tourism, boost the local economy and promote sustainable forestry.
Through the project, Island Falls wants to give people new reasons to stop and stay overnight, support downtown revitalization and create opportunities for outfitters, guides, food service, lodging and event programming, Johnston said.
Phase one includes the $3.5 million development of the Island Bridge Community Park, which was awarded a $2.8 million Timber for Transit grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission, according to commission program director Andrea Smith.
The project features a pedestrian bridge that will connect the downtown district to a new park and serve as an architectural showcase for modern wood engineering, town officials said.
“Constructed using glue-laminated timber made from spruce, fir and hemlock sourced from the town’s 9,000-acre forest, this signature attraction will foster recreational opportunities, cultural events, and economic development, reinforcing the town’s commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship,” according to the grant application.
Island Falls Town Manager Jutta Beyer said in a release that they are excited to see how the Island Bridge Project transforms the community, not just by providing a safe and scenic crossing, but by supporting ongoing downtown revitalization.
“The use of lumber harvested from town-owned property makes this project even more meaningful,” she said. “It will strengthen connections between neighborhoods, trails, and local businesses, encourage more foot traffic and community activity. This project reflects our dedication to accessibility, vibrancy, and a walkable, welcoming town center.”
The bridge, to be constructed along the Mattawamkeag River, will include a grass amphitheater for summer concerts and community events as well as a canoe and kayak launch.
From the launch, paddlers can travel all the way to Mattawamkeag Lake and historic Bible Point — the same route once traveled by Theodore Roosevelt.
“What’s especially compelling is how the town is framing this project,” Johnston said. “They see it as creating a true center of town — a place where residents and visitors gather, a destination that encourages people to stay longer and return, and a catalyst for revitalizing Main Street and reinvesting in vacant buildings.”
According to Andrea Smith, the town is completing the required environmental review to receive the grant funds for the bridge and park.
The trail funding is part of a multiyear $1.25 million project, funded by federal and state grants, that will deliver more than 18 miles of natural surface trails in Island Falls, Patten and Millinocket.
The Outdoor Sport Institute, a nonprofit based in Millinocket, was recently awarded the grants to expand non-motorized trail systems throughout Maine’s Katahdin Region as a way to support the region’s growing outdoor economy, according to institute Executive Director Mike Smith.
“After the grant announcement in December, we had a project kick-off meeting with Jutta and members of the [Island Falls] Select Board in early January,” he said. “We have a public meeting coming up next Monday evening to discuss the project with the community at large and answer questions.”
Smith and other OSI staff will talk to the community from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9, about the expanding system of non-motorized trails coming to Island Falls.
Once the environmental permitting is complete, construction on the trails can begin, Mike Smith said.
“The SADC Attraction Committee is already working on an outdoor recreation ad campaign to attract visitors by promoting the regional assets and Island Falls is absolutely a part of that,” Johnston said.
Johnston said she is looking to host a mini outdoor recreation business summit in Island Falls next month to inspire entrepreneurs in the region to think of business opportunities that can take advantage of the increased recreational tourism.
For the summit, Johnston will invite staff from the Northern Maine Development Commission, Small Business Development Center and SCORE to assist entrepreneurs, she said.
The timing of the summit leads new business hopefuls right to the next Top Gun competition where entrepreneurs can pitch their ideas for a chance to win $25,000, she said.
Johnston attended a recent Maine Outdoor Economy Summit, where experts said a brewery would attract mountain bikers to the region, she said. She spoke to an entrepreneur who bought land in the area to develop into glamping sites because he was so optimistic about the draw of the Island Falls project, she said.
“They’re strengthening the visitor economy,” she said. “It is a vision centered on quality of life, economic resilience, and year-round recreation.”