Built By Wood – 196 Penobscot Avenue

Nine years since launching the Millinocket Housing Initiative, the Center is leveling up by placing wood products at the heart of its newest middle-market building at 196 Penobscot Avenue.

How it Started

Located in central Maine near Mt. Katahdin and the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, Millinocket is known for its role in establishing northern New England as the birthplace of modern pulp and papermaking. The paper industry thrived in Millinocket for a century providing good jobs, supporting a thriving community, and serving as an engine for Maine’s economy. After years of decline, the mill in town closed for good in 2008. Since then, the community has struggled economically and experienced significant population decline. Today, work is ongoing to redevelop the mill site, and the community is also positioning itself as a destination for outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

In 2017, the Center launched the Millinocket Housing Initiative to create quality homes for people who want to make a future in Millinocket. With a $1 million investment, we purchased and renovated six blighted properties into eleven comfortable, high-quality living spaces. We outfitted three of the buildings with automated wood pellet boilers to reduce operating costs and emissions and support the region’s forest economy.

How it’s Going

Now, nine years removed from the launch of the Initiative, we have opened our newest mixed-use property at 196 Penobscot Avenue in downtown Millinocket. The 6,900-square-foot, 125-year-old building features four 1-bedroom apartments, one 2-bedroom apartment, and two first-floor commercial spaces, one occupied by Baby Ruthie’s takeout shop and the other available for rent.

Honoring the region’s history in manufacturing wood products, the Center prioritized the use of local wood products in the building for their many benefits. Rather than building completely new, we reduced demolition waste and extended the life of carbon stored in existing wood products by reclaiming wood floors and 25% of the building’s existing wood framing. When reclamation was not possible, we procured local wood products rather than foreign or fossil-fuel-based materials, reducing the building’s carbon footprint.

We also chose to heat the building with two wood pellet boilers, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Forest Service. Through our wood-first approach, we directly supported nine local businesses while also supporting forest landowners, enabling them to keep their forests as forests, out of development. These businesses include:

TimberHP for wood fiber insulation
Robbins Lumber for exterior pine siding
Hammond Lumber and Maine Traditions for birch floors
Irving for wood sills and framing
Sterns Lumber Co. for procurement
Agri-Cal for wood pellet delivery
Maine Woods Pellet Company for wood pellets

“We advocated for the use of innovative wood products throughout the building even when it was not the easiest or least expensive option,” said Isabella Ronson-Amrein, program manager at the Center. “In partnership with our local general contractor, Rick Lax, we learned best practices for new-to-market wood fiber insulation and sourcing options for Maine-made wood flooring and siding. Rick is continuing to use this learning in future projects.”

TimberHP has made major advancements in their insulation product. It was wonderful to use on this project and I am continuing to use it in my other work.”

– Rick Lax, RH Lax Contracting

How it Adds Up

By using wood fiber insulation, exterior wood siding, and wood floors, 196 Penobscot is storing 130,400-plus pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent in long-lived products. This is equivalent to the electricity used by roughly 13.5 homes in one year. These products will continue to store carbon for the entirety of their lifespan. By heating with wood pellets and opting for wood products instead of fossil-fuel-based materials, 196 Penobscot has avoided the emission of 119,800-plus pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. This figure is growing annually with each wood pellet delivery.

Learn more about our procurement choices and their environmental benefits by downloading the 196 Penobscot Avenue fact sheet.

DOWNLOAD THE TWO-PAGER

Stay tuned for future updates on other real estate work in the region and join us in our learning journey through our Built By Wood series.

Staff Contact

photo of Isabella Ronson

Isabella Ronson-Amrein

Program Manager

Email

Cell: 804-912-7145

Photo of Kendall Gray.

Kendall Gray

Program Manager

Email

Cell: 443-841-5201