Mainebiz

V O L . X X I X N O. I X M AY 1 , 2 0 2 3 18 H O S P I TA L I T Y / T O U R I S M F O C U S Igniting business growth Phase 1 renovations at the 50-room Northeastland, a 1930s hotel at 436 Main St. in downtown Presque Isle, were com- pleted last December. e makeover and a new restaurant and Innovation Center were the inaugural project of its owner, Ignite Presque Isle, a nonprofit com- munity development organization that invested over $7 million into the project. e project was driven by Ignite PI's search for a location for co-working space. In addition to construction of the Innovation Center, Phase I included work on the lobby, a sundry market, a restaurant and kitchen called Rodney's at 436 Main, two ballrooms and the infrastructure. Planning has begun for Phase II guest room updates. Hospitality and business develop- ment are focus points for Ignite PI and other organizations like Northern Maine Development Commission and Aroostook County Tourism Association, says LeRae Kinney, Ignite PI's CEO. "A number of small businesses have opened on Main Street including a bookstore, dress shop, men's clothing shop, gift shop, and an eco-friendly home goods store," she says. "Along with the Northeastland Hotel and Rodney's at 436 Main, we hope these businesses will attract travelers to downtown." Inn makeovers One developer that's been busy is Lark Hotels, a Newburyport, Mass.- based firm owned by Rob Blood that has over 30 boutique East Coast and California properties. Lark revamped Boothbay Harbor's 61-room Bluebird Ocean Point Inn, which is scheduled to open this June. In Portland, it renovated two historic inns, at 163 Danforth St. and 46 Carleton St. Elsewhere in Portland, the 102-room Cambria Hotel Portland Downtown Old Port, at 25 Hancock St., was developed by Michigan-based Koucar Management LLC with Hooksett, N.H.'s XSS Hotels. Local partners included Portland developer Bateman Partners LLC and Shipyard Brewing Co. Amenities include Alto Terrace Bar + Kitchen with an outdoor patio and 2,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space. Cambria is an upscale hotel brand by Choice Hotels International Inc. (NYSE: CHH), one of the world's larg- est lodging hotel franchisors. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F DAV E A L L E N C O U R T E S Y O F L A R K H O T E L S Renovations of Presque Isle's Northeastland Hotel included an updated lobby and new restaurant. Lark Hotels, a Newburyport, Mass., hotel development and management company, revamped Boothbay Harbor's Bluebird Ocean Point Inn.

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