12/18/2023 0 Comments New balance outlet skowhegan maine![]() ![]() She grew up in town and graduated from Skowhegan Area High School in 2013, moved away for college and job opportunities, and returned in 2018. Hailey Howard started as the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce’s new executive director this month. Skowhegan will see $650 million in new investment over the next three years. But Govoni and Almand pointed to Kristina Cannon, Main Street Skowhegan’s executive director, and Sam Hight, who owns Hight Ford in Skowhegan and Hight Chevrolet in Farmington, among others who moved back to Skowhegan and brought energy to large projects. Skowhegan’s population hasn’t grown much in the last 10 years, according to U.S. They’re seeing a depressed community here, and they’re not accepting that.” “They’ve been in the cities, they’ve worked in the cities and it’s not where they want to raise their families. “Our well-educated kids are coming home,” Govoni said. Some are newcomers interested in starting businesses or remodeling spaces, they said. Town Manager Christine Almand and Select Board member Steve Govoni, who is president and senior project engineer at Wentworth Partners & Associates, have noticed more people with connections to Skowhegan are returning home, which could be a factor in the investment. “We have worked very hard the past 20 years on trying to find ways to help businesses and grow demand for the area,” Hewett said, pointing out walking trails along the Kennebec River as an example of a project benefitting residents. There are smaller projects in various stages around town not included in the $650 million and whose costs are unknown. Hewett also noted projects such as Austin Associates’ $330,000 remodeling of its space on Madison Avenue and a $160,000 traffic study that is part of the Village Partnership Initiative. Amber Lambke, co-founder and president of Maine Grains in Skowhegan, with an Osttiroler Getreidemuehlen Green grist mill from Austria used to grind flour and oats for artisan breads and other food. ![]() ![]() Other projects and their approximate costs include a new $75.4 million elementary school projected to open in August 2025 and a $1.6 million early childhood center Maine Grains CEO Amber Lambke’s $15 million multi-use building project a $10.5 million broadband expansion an $8.5 million public safety building $5.4 million affordable housing apartments on Mary Street and four solar projects in different phases totaling a little more than $23 million. It’s taken a long time to get to this point, and we’re hoping they can pull the trigger on that project.” “We’ve been talking about this project for at least 15 years. “They have tremendous demand for their products right now,” Hewett said. The same is true for New Balance, which wants to spend an estimated $65 million to expand its operations with a 120,000-square-foot addition to its factory that would bring 200 jobs to Skowhegan. The company has consistently invested in its mill, which is one of its premier facilities in the country, and the move is driven by market demand, Hewett said. ![]() Of the projects totaling about $650 million, Sappi’s $418 million investment to boost the production of packing and speciality papers at its Somerset Mill is the largest. 14, 2021, file photo, the Sappi paper mill is seen in Skowhegan. Hard-working people are still there, and improvements coming in the next several years should boost their lives and the local economy, he said. Skowhegan has long been known for its shoemakers and workers at textile and paper mills, said Burnham, who now works as a consultant and on special historical projects. “The town has gotten to a place where it’s being noticed and sees potential for growth and for the fact that we have good, working people.” “I think it’s wonderful,” said Melvin Burnham, a resident and retired director of the Skowhegan History House Museum & Research Center. Community leaders hope the investments bring more jobs, activities and businesses to keep people in the area. For Skowhegan’s residents, this means more jobs and chances to be involved in shaping the community, said Jeff Hewett, the town’s director of economic and community development. ![]()
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