CARIBOU, Maine — Two of the economic development ideas born of the Caribou Economic Growth Council — an apartment facility to accommodate aging individuals and a brewery — could break ground in the city this year. Both ideas were conceptualized during early morning and late-night meetings of CEGC members and adopted by investors looking to give the businesses life; board member of the CEGC Sean Pelletier described the process as a bunch of businessmen sitting around an easel with the goal of thinking up five ideas that could work.
At least two of them look like they’ll come to fruition.
The apartment facility is tentatively slated for construction this spring.
Pelletier, who owns C.S. Management in Caribou and manages senior housing, explained that the new complex will fill the community’s gap between independent living and nursing-home care. Investors are aiming for a 40-unit single-story facility on the Cary Medical Center campus, but stressed that the apartments would be more like home and less like a hospital.
“It’s more market rate rent apartment with services, if needed, provided and we will utilize services through Aroostook Home Health and Cary Medical Center to offer things like food, laundry, housekeeping — home care type services, whether it’s nursing or different therapies,” Pelletier explained. “Tenants would only use these services as needed, and would be billed based on the services.”
Five acres have been secured for the project, and CEGC board member Joseph Sleeper II commented that investors have been found to support the project. The goal is to break ground this spring, though Pelletier acknowledges it’s an ambitious goal.
“The architect feels that it’s possible to make it happen but if not, we really feel a June or July groundbreaking is possible,” he explained.
The CEGC is working with WBRC Architects/Engineers out of Bangor, who Pelletier said has a lot of experience with this type of project. Private investors have picked out some designs, and WBRC staff is working on estimated development costs.
“Once we have those numbers, we can look at cash flow projections,” explained Pelletier.
The new brewery in Caribou, Northern Maine Brewing Company LLC, could be up and running this fall if everything goes well, anticipated CEGC Board Member Richard Solman.
“Eventually, if things go well, we hope to sell beer outside the area — in kegs or bottles — but that’s down the road,” Solman said. “Starting with a brew pub is a natural way for people to get to know your product and hopefully, if you do a good job, people will start asking for the craft beer elsewhere.”
Solman emphasized that the locally crafted beer would use ingredients from the area, having already obtained some hops from Westfield growers. Those working on the project are using the winter months to craft five good beer recipes, with help of a brew master.
“We’re doing some test brewing and looking at locations,” Solman said of the Northern Maine Brewing Company LLC investors. “We’re pricing beer and restaurant equipment, and once we have the site finalized we’ll start looking at renovation costs.”
Developing the brewery has been so much fun, according to Pelletier, that in addition to local investors found for the project “there’s a large percentage on our board that’s involved with the Northern Maine Brewing Company.”
The Caribou Economic Growth Council was born in 2011 when Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Industry was split in half, morphing into CEGC and the Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce.
The CEGC is not under city management, but CEGC Board Member Sleeper explained that it’s important for the board to work with the city.
“We’re all working toward the same goals,” he said.
“Bringing business here, creating new business, helping new business — we felt that’s what really needed to be done,” Sleeper commented of the economic developmental group. “None of these projects are easy or guaranteed, but the group realizes that we need to get out and take a chance … an effort has to be made for the good of our community.”
Members of the CEGC have poured themselves into the volunteer board, but with the growing number of projects, they’re looking for more volunteers who want to be a part of bringing new businesses to the city.
