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V O L . X X I V N O. I X A P R I L 3 0 , 2 0 1 8 24 C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N M A I N E F O C U S Wilton Franklin County POPULATION: 3,939 ON THE WAY TO: Maine's western mountains and High Peaks region. Major routes are U.S. Route 2, state routes 4, 156. HISTORIC ECONOMIC DRIVER: Shoe, woolen factories DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION HIGHLIGHT: CDBG, other grants, have updated infrastructure, storefronts and lured new businesses 'It's come together' In Wilton, the eff ort that began with the "slum and blight" designation generated results. In the last 18 months, eight businesses have opened, including a coff ee shop, bakery and ice cream shop. Other new development includes the Wilton Play Museum, scheduled to open downtown this year. e Forster mill is coming down after a long battle, and Rhonda Irish, the town manager, says the possibil- ities for development range from housing to businesses. Vacant dilapidated buildings are outnumbered by brightly painted storefronts. Apartments were recently completed in the sprawl- ing former Bass shoe factory, which anchors downtown. Issues remain — there's a need for senior housing and businesses like daycare and maybe a craft brewery. e new infrastructure has to be kept up. "But it's come together faster than I thought," Irish says. e key was having a strategy. "It was very very very important to do it in stages with the community," she says. "It was very important to plan, but then go forward with it and not put it on a shelf." e town wasn't shy about seeking help from places like the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, the Franklin County Development Council. Public meetings had good turnouts, a lot of energy and residents made tough decisions. She said while some long-time residents fi nd it hard to let go of the image of Wilton in its heyday, the town's evolution is positive. "It's not the Wilton from a long time ago," she says. "But it's a Wilton younger generations will remember as a place of opportunity for them, a place they could start a business and raise their family." M M , M a i n e b i z s t a f f w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t @ » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Skowhegan Somerset County, on Kennebec River POPULATION: 8,417 ON THE WAY TO: Maine's western mountains, Moosehead Lake Region. Major routes are U.S. routes 2, 201; state Route 150, 151. HISTORIC ECONOMIC DRIVER: Paper, lumber mills DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION HIGHLIGHT: Planned $4.5 mil- lion Run of River whitewater park Rolling on the river When Amber Lambke and Michael Scholz bought the former county jail in downtown Skowhegan in 2009, it kicked off the renaissance, says Kristina Cannon, executive director of Main Street Skowhegan. e building is now the Somerset Grist Mill, pro- ducing stone-ground grains. e pair also founded the Kneading Conference, which has given the town an identity as a local food hub, Cannon says. Since then, new ways to attract people keep coming, including the Skowhegan Craft Brew Festival, held in September, and now in its third year and likely to attract as many as 30 brewers. She says the Kneading Conference and brew fest bring "tons of people from out of town, from out of state." e town also scored the 2018 Moose Lottery after Selectman Soren Siren saw the economic boost Bethel got when it hosted it. e lottery, held by the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is for those hoping to be among the 2,000 who get a moose hunting permit. Main Street Skowhegan is building it into a three day Moose Fest, with help from a $9,500 Maine Tourism grant. e weekend will include a concert and a feast featuring wild game and craft beer. But the biggest is yet to come. e town has been working on developing a $4.9 mil- lion whitewater kayak park, Run of River, in the Kenne- bec Gorge, which runs behind Main Street's buildings. Cannon says only 20% of the people a white water park draws will use it. " e rest come to watch," she says. ey also eat in local restaurants, shop and stay in local accommodations. e economic benefi ts of the park were initially a tough sell, and in some ways still are. " ere are still people who are skeptical, but once we get the features in the river, people are going to to get the idea," she says. " ey need a tangible vision, otherwise it's hard to get their head around. I think it's something peo- ple have never seen before and that's OK, we get that." Helping was a 2016 economic impact study that estimates the park will generate $6 million in revenue in its fi rst year, and up to $19 million in its 10th; cre- ate up to 171 jobs by the 10th year; generate a range of $270,000 to $480,000 in property tax revenues by its 10th year. State tax revenues could grow to a range of $364,000 to $656,000 a year. Fundraising for the park begins soon. "People are beginning to realize that we have so much more to off er," says Cannon. " at we're so much more than just an industrial town." People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that People are beginning to realize that we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. we have so much more to offer. — Kristina Cannon Executive director, Main Street Skowhegan It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long It's not the Wilton from a long time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger time ago, but it's a Wilton younger generations will remember as a place of opportunity for them. — Rhonda Irish Wilton town manager P H O T O S / M A U R E E N M I L L I K E N P H O T O S / M A U R E E N M I L L I K E N Kristina Cannon (top), executive director of Main Street Skowhegan, on the pedestrian bridge overlooking the future site of the Run of River whitewater park; Main Street; the town also hopes to enhance the riverbank. In Wilton, new businesses have opened downtown and the former Bass shoe factory (right, top photo) is occupied; the Western Maine Play Museum on Main Street is due to open this summer.

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