SKOWHEGAN (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- A portion of the Kennebec River that runs through Skowhegan is one step closer to revitalization. The Run of River Whitewater Recreation Area received a $40,000 grant from Somerset County to add to their funding. Run of River is a proposed whitewater park and expanded trail system.
The grant has raised fundraising totals in the last six months to $93,000 for the project. These funds will be allocated towards 3D modeling plans. The next goal for Run of River is to reach $180,000 in order to fund the costs of permitting the proposed area by spring 2019.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $4.96 million. The town of Skowhegan has reserved $1.4 million from the Sappi Tax Increment Financing. Sappi is the owner of the paper mill in Somerset County. Run of River’s total fundraising left is $3.56 million, but town leaders believe it will add a new dimension to Skowhegan’s downtown.
“It’s going to have huge impact for day to day business, so it should increase sales for existing business’s and we’re also encouraging new entrepreneurs to open shops,” says the President of the Board of Mainstreet Skowhegan, Matthew Dubois.
“I think it could be used as a model for other areas that have rivers,” Dubois added.”
Construction for the project is expected to begin in 2021.