New apartments and commercial space on Penobscot Avenue boost housing stock and downtown vitality.

The Center is proud to open four new apartments in Millinocket for long-term rent with a fifth apartment slated for completion in early 2026. The newly renovated apartments will help to address the ongoing housing shortages in the region. The apartments are priced for the middle market and will be leased to full-time residents of Millinocket.

Jen Bolman, owner of Baby Ruthies behind the counter of her reopened takeout and ice cream shop.

In addition to rental apartments, the building features two commercial spaces designed to contribute to downtown vibrancy. Baby Ruthies, a favorite ice cream takeout and restaurant open year-round, has been open since March in one of the units. The other commercial space is now available for lease.

“These new apartments are meeting a crucial need in the region for middle-market rental housing,” said Isabella Ronson-Amrein, program manager at the Center. “This project follows the model of our first housing initiative in Millinocket and subsequent successes in Lancaster, New Hampshire, St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and Bethel, Maine. In each of these, we restored in-town buildings to create quality apartments, helping to revitalize each community.”

The new renovation in Millinocket advances many of the Center’s goals, including prioritizing the use of regional wood products in the construction sector. Throughout the 125-year-old building, we reclaimed original wood flooring, insulated with Timber HP’s wood fiber insulation from Madison, Maine, installed a modern wood pellet boiler for full-building heat, and installed birch wood flooring from Maine.

This project brings the Center closer to its goal of creating 100 new units of housing across the four-state region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Center uses a mix of funding sources to achieve its goal of creating high quality housing for people living and working in Northern Forest communities. Sources include the Center’s Northern Forest Fund – which integrates private impact investments, donations, and grants from public sources – and grants and donations specifically for this project. This project has received strong public sector support from the U.S. Forest Service and a Penobscot County ARPA grant. We welcome your donation to support this project and others that are helping to strengthen Northern Forest communities.

The redevelopment project complements the Center’s ongoing work in the Katahdin region, including projects that improve recreation access and resources, provide workforce development in local schools, enhance downtown vibrancy, and build non-profit capacity.