OLD TOWN, Maine — Just more than a year ago, a fire destroyed some businesses and apartments in downtown Old Town.
"The City has worked to purchase those four vacant lots, so that has taken some time, people were deciding whether to re-build or sell the lots," EJ Roach, Director of Economic and Community Development, said.
The City of Old Town tells NEWS CENTER Maine they've cleared and purchased all four lots left in ruin and are now hoping to redevelop this stretch of Main Street in a way that sparks the entire downtown area.
Right across the street, Kanu, a new restaurant and nightclub, is set to open next week, jump-starting those hopes.
"We anticipate a lot of students from the University of Maine, folks from the greater Bangor area, and obviously people from Old Town will visit Kanu and see what the downtown has to offer and perhaps visit some other businesses in town or perhaps find someone who visits the restaurant and says, 'Hey! I'm looking for a place to open up my own business, this is a great place, let's make it happen,'" Roach said.
Roach says they are trying to grow both their day and nighttime economy. Now, the City of Old Town is working with its downtown planning committee to determine what would best fit in those four vacant lots.
"We are hearing from the community that they want a downtown that is a destination, a place to go," Roach said.
One of the plans? To combine all four lots for a potential developer.
"We are working with a committee focused on developing a downtown plan, so we want to understand what might go there that would complement some of the other businesses going in the area."
Across the street from those four vacant lots, a new three-story restaurant and nightclub set to open up, Kanu. The City of Old Town and its developer, Alex Gray all hope the new business brings people back downtown.
"It's an homage to Old Town canoe, our proprietor the owner of this establishment Alex Gray's family was the founder of that company," says Rich Murphy, general manager at Kanu. Murphy hopes Kanu can become an arts and entertainment engine for the entire region.
"It's not really anything that this area has seen before," Murphy said.
The modern facility is anticipated to be a big kick for downtown redevelopment.
"I would like to see this area have more restaurants, have more nightlife, have more entertainment," Murphy said.
"We have about 1,800 cars that drive through Center Street every day, so the number of people going through, we want to encourage them to stop," said Roach, as the city keeps looking for what other business owners might be interested in helping bring back a vibrant downtown.
Kanu is set to open next week and the general manager says they are still hiring hosts, servers, food runners, bartenders, barbacks, security, and kitchen staff. To apply to any of those positions email your resume to info@283kanu.com