In addition to the river park, the recreation area will include an estimated 50 miles of trails—including double-track for walking and single-track for mountain biking—for four-season use, all accessible via downtown.
An industrial river for many years, the Kennebec is in need of some TLC. We’ll be removing old railroad bridge debris from the flood of 1987, helping to restore our section of the Kennebec River. Improved river access will offer new opportunities for community members to recreate and enjoy the natural world.
The third whitewater wave feature—expected to be constructed during Phase II—will be located at the end of the gorge at the mouth of the Big Eddy. The wave will reduce the hazard of the existing sewer pipeline while at the same time creating opportunity for recreation.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
The Somerset County Commissioners have approved a $200,000 challenge grant for final design of the river park! Total anticipated costs for final design — including wave features and river access from both banks — are $535,000. We have six months to raise the remaining funds. Rest assured we have already identified some potential sources, but we will always welcome donations!
Help us raise the match by donating here: https://runofriver.org/fundraising/
Thanks to the County Commissioners for their continued support and to the Clean Energy Corridor for the donation!
Thanks to our local news outlets for their coverage of the Somerset County funding awarded to Run of River and other community projects!
New plywood factory, park among Somerset County recipients of $410K in TIF grants – Mainebiz
River rec area, brewery among Somerset County recipients for $410,000 in grants – Morning Sentinel/Kennebec Journal
Grants awarded for community projects in Somerset County – Fox22/ABC7
Run of River among Somerset County award recipients – WABI TV5
Click here for the full press release.
Somerset County awards $400,000 in grants; Skowhegan’s Run of River project receives $173,000
Skowhegan, Maine—On Wednesday, May 19 the Somerset County Commissioners and Tax Increment Financing Committee awarded $173,000 from the County’s Community Benefits Fund for the Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area, a river park for paddling, surfing, and tubing planned for Skowhegan’s downtown Kennebec River Gorge. Funds will be used to finalize and submit environmental permit applications to state and federal regulatory agencies, the next major step of the project.
“We are thrilled that Somerset County’s Commissioners see the value of Run of River as a major economic development initiative for the region,” said Kristina Cannon, Main Street Skowhegan’s Executive Director and Run of River Committee member leading fundraising and project management.
With permitting funding secured, Cannon and the Run of River Committee are fundraising for final design and construction. The team is currently working with a local firm to draft a constructability plan and cross-reference and finalize budget figures. The Town of Skowhegan has reserved $1.4 million for construction, leaving an estimated $6.5 million to be raised.
Once completed, Run of River will feature a river park with enhanced waves—including the Northeast’s only adjustable wave—for paddling, river surfing, standup paddle boarding, bodyboarding, and tubing. Skowhegan’s downtown Kennebec River gorge will become a go-to venue for whitewater competitions and events, drawing thousands of people to the region annually. A 2016 economic impact study estimates $6 million in increased spending in just the first year of operation, with an anticipated increase of $19 million by year 10.
“I’ve seen how other river parks around the country have revitalized their commercial districts, and I can’t wait for that to happen in Skowhegan with the completion of our very own paddle and surf park,” said Cannon. “We’re grateful to the Commissioners and TIF Committee for recognizing the potential and investing in the region’s future as an outdoor recreation destination.”
The $173,000 allocated to Run of River was one of five grants awarded to community groups and businesses in Somerset County. Please see below for the full list of awards with Commissioners’ comments:
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- A grant to the Somerset County Humane Society/Shelter in the amount of $10K
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- A grant of $65K to the Valley Riders Snowmobile Club with $16,250.00 coming from the TIF and $48,750 coming from the Community Benefit Funds. In addition, another $65K loan which SEDC will administer as a low interest loan for the purchase of a used groomer.
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“The club is responsible for close to 100 miles of trails. This award will help acquire an additional groomer to help keep the trails in good condition and will allow the club to continue to groom if the other groomer breaks down. Outdoor recreation is vital to numerous businesses in Somerset County bringing outside dollars and visitors to our region.”
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- A grant to Bigelow Brewing Company $100K from the Community Benefit funds for the relocation and expansion to the new site located at 7 Island Avenue, Skowhegan.
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“Bigelow Brewing continues to impress us all with their great beer and food offerings and really put Somerset County on the map for beer lovers. Their success has resulted in the need for more production space as they plan on increasing their brewing capacity 5 fold. Redeveloping the former Solon Manufacturing mill will be a great move for them as well as a wonderful opportunity to attract even more visitors to downtown Skowhegan.”
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- A grant to the Run of the River Project $173K from the Community Benefit Funds for the licensing and permitting stage of the project.
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“Run of River is a very unique concept. It will bring in outdoor enthusiasts from all over New England to downtown Skowhegan and it will also get people back on the Kennebec River. We feel this will result in new water activities not just in Skowhegan but also northward along the Kennebec which will help our rafting and paddling businesses north of here. We continue to be impressed by Main Street’s commitment and vision of this project and hope this award will help continue the momentum we’re all seeing lately.”
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- A grant to Maine Plywood USA, LLC in Bingham in the amount of $50K in conjunction with SEDC’s loan approval of $100K with SEDC administering the loan portion on behalf of the County.
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“The Commission is happy to support the redevelopment of the former Quimby mill in downtown Bingham. It will breathe new life into Bingham by creating over 100 jobs, providing contracts of over 100,000 tons of lumber annually, starting the only plywood mill in New England, and producing an American made, a Maine made product to offset foreign imports. We wish you luck in this endeavor and are pleased you selected Somerset County as your site location.”
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- A grant to the Skowhegan Area Chamber of Commerce $12k from the Community Benefit funds for their new Welcome Center in Bingham.
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“The traffic count along Rt. 201 is significant. We hope with this award, the Chamber can help promote local business and local attractions to those passing through. We also applaud you on opening up a welcome center in Madison.”
“I give the Commission a lot of credit in their forward-thinking approach on how to allocate some of the TIF and Community Benefits funds. These awards, and several other over the years, are a true testament of leveraging private-public partnerships with both businesses and meaningful projects throughout Somerset County,” said Christian Savage, Executive Director of Somerset Economic Development Corporation.
For more information about Run of River, please check out RunofRiver.org or contact Kristina Cannon at Kristina@mainstreetskowhegan.org or 207-614-4078.
For more information on other supported projects, contact Christian Savage at csavage@somersetcounty-me.org or 207-649-4255.
We suspect many of you are wondering about where this project stands and whether or not it has been moving along despite the pandemic … and we’re proud to say it has!
Over the last several months the project team has been meeting with state and federal regulatory agencies, discussing proposed river features, design, fish passage, and coffer damming.
We recently met with Brookfield Renewable (owners of the hydropower dam above the park site) to discuss opportunities for collaboration, construction site access, and more. And, we have engaged a local construction firm to help with constructibility and cost estimates for materials.
Meetings have all been positive, and we’re preparing permit applications for submission early this summer!
In addition to preparing permit applications, our team is updating the project design, which will include an adjustable surf wave (at the middle feature) and access stairs from the North side of the river, allowing access directly from downtown.
Along with the updated design will come an updated budget to include the adjustable wave and upgraded river access. For now, we’ve estimated to the best of our ability, and we’ll update the fundraising page with an official total soon.
Stay tuned for more!
In the meantime, take another look at our awesome project renderings. How can you not get excited?!
Watch the story from Fox22 Bangor here:
https://foxbangor.com/news/item/outdoor-recreation-key-to-skowhegans-future/
SKOWHEGAN — The town is developing some new ways to show off its businesses and Bigelow Brewing is looking to be one piece of the puzzle.
Bigelow Brewing owners Pam and Jeff Power purchased the property last fall. They said their next step is to design it into a multi-use utopia.
“There’s just a lot of energy in the town and we are just happy to be a part of it,” Pam Powers said. “We became a community gathering spot and as humans we need that.”
Last year, they brewed a beer called On the River Bank in an effort to raise money for the Run of River Project. They said they have decided to rebrew the beer this year and hope to have it out in in mid-August.
The project aims to bring an experience of a lifetime for Mainers — especially if they enjoy white water rapids, said Main Street Skowhegan Executive Director Kristina Cannon.
“We engaged with so many community members who said local food and outdoor recreation are the keys to Skowhegan’s future,” she said.
Although the project is still in the works, Cannon said it will bring new businesses and new jobs to the community.
The outdoor recreation buzz is already in the air, said Maria Kavanaugh and Emma Corwin, outdoor recreation coaches for Main Street Skowhegan.
“This town has a lot to offer and it’s all within a mile or two-mile radius,” Corwin said.
“It’s a great place to get outside get healthy and moving,” Kavanaugh added.
The Run of River Committee is extremely proud to share our brand new renderings—20+ graphic images that showcase what Run of River will look like once the dream is realized! AND, these are just images. We will be launching the rendering video in just a few weeks!
In March, a group of community leaders, volunteers, and outdoor enthusiasts were sitting around a table at the Main Street Skowhegan office discussing the AmeriCorps Outdoor Recreation Program, an initiative to provide free outdoor activities and gear for community members. They came to the realization that a movement is underfoot, just scratching at the floorboards, in Skowhegan. We have multiple trail networks, a bike pump track, a downtown river gorge with a plan for the Run of River whitewater kayak and surf park, Lake George Regional Park, Eaton Mountain, and many other places ripe for outdoor recreation. We have free, guided outdoor programming and activities, and we have a growing gear library to help our locals get started outside. But what we don’t have is a unified initiative with a cohesive story to tell.
Enter stage right: Skowhegan Outdoors
Main Street Skowhegan decided to go big or go home, bite the bullet, and just do it. At the end of June, they decided to launch the—now official—Skowhegan Outdoors initiative. It begins with a website, some messaging, and a somewhat-consistent graphic identity. And it will grow from here.
The launch of the Skowhegan Outdoors Initiative is another step toward ensuring that everyone in the Skowhegan community has equitable access to the outdoors, opportunities to attend free outdoor activities, and the tools to experience the natural world on their own. It’s an effort to tie together all the work that is happening across the community in the outdoor space, including information about trail development and free outdoor programming. Skowhegan Outdoors will help bring people together through shared experiences, promote our outdoor spaces and facilities, and catalyze a shift toward a more active lifestyle in Skowhegan—a lifestyle that is accessible to everyone.
We know you want to learn more, so go big or go home, bite the bullet, and just go for it—click this link: https://skowheganoutdoors.com/