The Maine Land Use Planning Commission approved a plan to build an events center and operations building at the New England Outdoor Center on Millinocket Lake.
Bangor Daily News reported that the project by Matthew Polstein, who owns the center and Twin Pines Camps on 1,345 acres, is part of a $1 million expansion plan to construct two buildings totaling 10,000 square feet. The project could add jobs; grow year-round opportunities, like conferences and weddings, Polstein told the newspaper.
According to its website, Polstein founded New England Outdoor Center, an outdoor adventure resort, in 1982. The center attracts thousands of guests annually, and offers summer and winter activities like cross-country skiing and canoeing. The center’s Twin Pines resort offers 20 lakeside lodges and cabins.
Polstein’s business started in the 1980s with whitewater rafting trips. He expanded into the hospitality industry with operations like the Twin Pine Camps and the Sterling Inn in the Millinocket Lake region. He purchased the 1,345-acre property in 2004. The convention center was originally part of a larger, $15 million expansion plan that included building an upscale resort and luxury family units. The center looks out on two of Maine’s most famous landmarks, Katahdin and Millinocket Lake, and borders Baxter State Park.