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 Located in north Central Maine, Skowhegan is situated on the
picturesque banks of the Kennebec River. Like many Maine towns, Skowhegan’s
history is steeped in wood products and mills, and the town is trying to find
new avenues to bolster its economy. With the presence of New Balance Shoes,
SAPPI Paper, and a strong downtown revitalization program, Skowhegan remains
“a place to watch.”
Main Street Skowhegan (MSS) was designated part of the Main
Street Maine Program in the fall of 2005. In this catalyst phase of
development as a Main Street Maine community, downtown Skowhegan has been
undergoing  significant
infrastructure improvements, including the replacement of the town’s water
and sewer lines, new streetlights, sidewalk stamping, beautification/green space
and tree planting, pedestrian friendly sidewalks, a building façade program,
and public bathrooms. A number of promotional events have been held to bring
people downtown including Holiday Stroll, Skowpendus, Maple Breakfast, and
Tent Days which is a collaborative effort with New Balance (NB) to encourage
shoppers from NB tent sales to the downtown area to share in the downtown
experience. The successful Farmer’s Market expanded this year to be open
year round.
Downtown Skowhegan’s private investment over the past few years
has new ownership actively working on major renovations on different
buildings. A new hotel with much needed conference space is actively
underway that will overlook the downtown area and help bring tourists to the
area.
Main Street Skowhegan’s plans for the downtown design program
are well underway, the downtown intercept surveys are completed and MSS is
continuing to look to build the organization through volunteer recruitment
and fundraising. The group also continues to promote local businesses while
working to attract new businesses to the downtown area, such as a new  bakery opening in
August.
Since being designated a Main Street Maine community,
downtown Skowhegan’s revitalization efforts have resulted in:
•2 net new businesses
•$630 thousand in new public and
private downtown investment
•Over 14,000 volunteer hours
•15 net new jobs
•For every $1 invested in the Main Street Skowhegan program, an additional $4.5 have been invested in downtown Skowhegan
For more
information on the Main Street Skowhegan, please go to their website.
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