Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 F E B R UA R Y 5 , 2 0 2 4 C O M M E R C I A L D E V E L O P M E N T Treehouse rentals At 30 Old Mill Road on Ellsworth's outskirts, three couples — Tim and Rachel Stone, Matt and Laura Krivonen, and Scott and Emily Bradshaw — established a subdivision called Arbor Camp in 2022 on 30 for- ested acres along the Union River. Tim Stone is a builder who lives in Otter Creek, a village of Bar Harbor. Matt Krivonen is a structural engineer who lives in Billings, Mont. Scott Bradshaw is a civil and environ- mental engineer in Bozeman, Mont. In development are 14 treehouses and two small cabins, with the plan to make them available for short-term rentals on a year-round basis. e units will be winterized and the year-round aspect leverages increased wintertime travel to the area, says Stone. "We think it's a different experience that we hope will attract enough people throughout the winter," he says. Stone notes that, unlike conver- sions of existing housing stock into short-term rentals — a sore spot for many communities — Arbor Camp is building new. "We didn't want to come into Ellsworth and buy houses and fix them up and rent them out for short-term rentals," he says. "ere's a housing shortage in Ellsworth. We didn't want to contribute to that problem. We wanted to build them from scratch." e couples are long-time friends. e Stones were teachers on Long Island, N.Y., and wanted to shift gears. ey summered many years in Maine and decided to relocate. Stone has built treehouses since he was a kid; Krivonen and Bradshaw's experience as engineers was key. Construction of two cabins and one treehouse is underway, with the goal of having them operational this July with water and sewer, heating and insula- tion, and conventional spaces such as kitchen, bathroom and living areas. e project includes clearing brush and cre- ating walking trails. e cost is estimated at $5 million, with a five-year buildout expected. As a hub for Acadia National Park, the Downeast coast and other attrac- tions, the location is ideal, says Stone. "One of the things that goes together with the project is trying to encourage people to come to Maine and see how beautiful it is in the wintertime," Stone says. "We think Ellsworth is a better location in the winter than anything on the island, because it doesn't shut down and it's a place where people live — the restau- rants and shops are open, people are here, it has a great little downtown, it's growing." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber@mainebiz.biz At NBT Bank, our goal is to help you reach yours. Our relationship managers provide the expert guidance and custom solutions it takes to help grow your business. Our local commitment builds strong, long-lasting partnerships that maximize your potential for success. Capital and Treasury Management Solutions Fraud Protection & Secure Banking Solutions Local Perspective & Decision Making Let our experienced Maine commercial banking team create real opportunity for your business. Cameron McKague, Timothy McMachen, Ashley Gagnon, Jeremy Deering, Michael O'Reilly, Mark Schaub, Joseph Luciano, Kimberly Twitchell, Charles Mathews Member FDIC nbtbank.com/me C O U R T E S Y / A R BO R C A M P A treehouse and cabin are under construction at Arbor Camp for the short-term rental market. There's a housing shortage in Ellsworth. We didn't want to contribute to that problem. We wanted to build them from scratch. — Tim Stone Arbor Camp F O C U S

• Cover