Restaurant opens on Penobscot Avenue while construction continues on five apartments.

On March 14, Baby Ruthies –a favorite ice cream takeout and restaurant in Millinocket, Maine — reopened in a colorful, fully renovated space on Penobscot Avenue, the town’s main street.

“I have so much gratitude and appreciation to the Northern Forest Center for making the building everything it was meant to be,” said Jen Bolman, owner of Baby Ruthies. “It’s a beautiful new addition to our town and a great new home for my business.  The community has been amazing, and I’m so thankful to be feeding them again and giving them a great spot to gather and grab some comfort food and delicious ice cream!!”

For more than a year, the Center has been renovating the two-story building at 196 Penobscot Ave into a beautiful mixed use commercial and residential building to add vibrancy to the downtown. “Our investment on Penobscot Avenue adds housing that is desperately needed, as well as new commercial spaces in downtown Millinocket,” said Mike Wilson, senior program director at the Center. “We hope this redevelopment project contributes to the increased activity in the downtown and attracts more people to the area.”

The five new apartments are still under construction with completion anticipated for this summer. These new, high-quality apartments will serve full-time residents of Millinocket and will be affordable to middle-income earners. There are four 1-bedroom apartments, one of which meets accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and one 2-bedroom apartment.