The Center has helped the Town of Gorham, NH, take full ownership of a parcel of land along the Androscoggin River that it will develop into a community trail hub. For almost a year, the Center held ownership of the property so that the town could complete its due diligence and secure its project funding.

The half-acre lot sits at 420 Main St. in Gorham and backs up to the Androscoggin River, adjacent to the trestle bridge that provides access across the river to multiple recreational opportunities.

In November 2025, the Town of Gorham completed the last phase of a multi-step land acquisition project when it acquired 420 Main Street from the Center.

The Center’s Role

In a summer scene, one man points down river while another man looks on, both standing under a pedestrian bridge that crosses the river.
Mike Morin, NH/VT Program Manager for the Center, points downriver while Gorham Town Manager Peter Gagnon looks on.

The Center purchased the property in December 2024 from a local business interested in supporting the town’s plans. The Center used funds from its Northern Forest Fund for the project, which was the first “purchase, hold, and transfer” project conducted by the Center to support community revitalization

The town can now move ahead with initial site improvements that include removing a vacant structure and managing vegetation and begin to pursue its plans to redevelop the property into a recreational trailhead and river access point using grant funding from the Northern Borders Regional Commission.

“We’re thrilled to have been able to work with the landowner, VIP Tire and Service, and Town of Gorham to successfully complete this acquisition project,” said Mike Morin, the Center’s VT/NH Program Director. “Being creative and responsive to the needs of Northern Forest communities is at the core of the Center’s work and using money from our Northern Forest Fund to secure this acquisition opportunity for the Town of Gorham checks both of those boxes.”

John Quirk, owner of VIP Tire and Service, sold the property for the trail hub. “We at VIP Tires & Service were happy to work with the Town of Gorham and the Northern Forest Center to sell this property to the town so that it could be redeveloped into a publicly amenity for all to enjoy,” he said.” Giving back to local communities is important to our family-owned company, and we were happy to work with the town on this great project.”

Impact Investment Capital Cycles into Other Community Projects

Now that the town has acquired the property from the Center, the Center’s funds have gone back into the Northern Forest Fund so that they can be deployed to support future housing development projects across the region.

Since 2017, the Center has deployed $21.6 million to create quality housing priced for the “middle market” to support community revitalization. Projects include the Parker J. Noyes building in Lancaster, NH; 560 Railroad Street in St. Johnsbury, VT; seven buildings in Millinocket, ME; and the Gehring House in Bethel, ME. New projects are underway in Tupper Lake and Elizabethtown, NY, and Greenville, ME.  

In 2025, the Center opened its newest community impact fund, the Northern Forest Fund II, to create new opportunities for community impact investing. 

In other Gorham-based projects, the Center is embarking on a wayfinding project with the town, McClure Engineering, and community stakeholders that will create a comprehensive signage design and placement plan to direct visitors to the recreational amenities throughout the town. The wayfinding system will include the future trailhead at 420 Main Street, as will the Coos Trails network, which will see a new segment completed as the 2026 trail building season begins this spring.