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December 6, 2016

Presque Isle downtown sees rejuvenation

Presque Isle has evolved into a regional service center and the downtown is seeing some rejuvenation after a decline fueled in part by outmigration of younger generations, according to the city’s 2012-17 Strategic Plan.

The latest entry toward reversing that decline comes with Allison Basye and Greg Doak opening a new café, Allegro, in a long-empty building, the Bangor Daily News reported. They told the paper they hope it will be the first of a trio of food ventures in the building

Other new entries to Main Street in recent years include Card Smart; the Olde Rustic Attic; Denise’s Creative Touch; Bike, Board and Ski; and King Morton’s Hall of Music. Some moved from the Aroostook Centre Mall.

Basye and Doak said they also plan to renovate space under the café to open Bar Allegro, then develop El Allegro, an “upscale, casual Italian restaurant.”

The city’s strategic plan identified a number of concerns, including downtown building deterioration, outward migration of younger residents, lack of area marketing, pedestrian-unfriendly streets and sidewalks and disjointed economic development efforts.

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