CALAIS – A $1 million grant to the city and the St. Croix Economic Alliance of Calais to help build the Downeast Heritage Center is the final piece of a puzzle, Mayor Eric Hinson said Monday night.

City officials learned of the $1 million Commerce Department grant from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, who has helped secure $2.75 million in federal appropriations for the heritage center thus far and has included an additional $400,000 for the project in the big annual transportation spending bill pending before the Senate.

The city still is awaiting word on a $2.1 million loan from another federal agency.

The Downeast Heritage Center, a $6.2 million project, will be an educational and interpretive facility that will showcase the natural wonders and the historical and cultural heritage of Washington County.

“I’m confident that the Downeast Heritage Center in Calais, which I have been supporting over the past six years, will prove to be a catalyst for economic development,” Collins said. “We have a project here where economic and cultural interests intersect.”

“Wow,” was City Manager Linda Pagels’ reaction. “It is a great day for the region, not just Calais.”

Marc Edwards, executive director of the Downeast Heritage Center, said the grant shows the support that Collins and members of the state’s congressional delegation have shown for the project. “This is absolutely wonderful,” he said. “This is great news for the whole Down East region.”

Construction is expected to begin next month.

A market feasibility study projected that 90,000 people will visit the center each year and contribute some $3.6 million annually to Washington County businesses.