Downtown revitalization to be topic of Milo public hearing

MILO – A public hearing will be held next week to discuss the submission of a planning grant for downtown improvements.

Dr. Ken Woodbury Jr., community development specialist with the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, will address residents at the meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28, in the Milo Town Hall. The PCEDC is working with the town on the effort.

If the town receives the planning grant, the funds will allow the town to do an analysis and survey of what’s needed to revitalize the downtown, Woodbury said Friday.

“It will kind of give us a map of what we need to do and kind of a look-see as to what the downtown could look like if we had the money to do it,” Woodbury said of the grant that requires a $2,500 local match.

The next year, the town could apply for a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant for the improvements as well as a facade grant that would provide up to $25,000 to each business for facade improvements, according to Woodbury.

“‘What we’re trying to do is retain the downtown core of the community before it disappears,” Woodbury said. “It’s the core of the community and when it’s gone, it’s gone. What we want to do is to bring that back, to restore it; it is the heart and soul of Milo and we don’t want to lose it.”

The targeted area is two blocks from the north side of Park Street to Water Street and the Sebec River. The revitalization efforts could include park improvements, facade improvements on the historic and modern buildings, new lighting, the addition of trees, and improved sidewalks.

The town had a downtown revitalization design and study done in 1998 and while results of the study can’t be found, Woodbury said some information from that earlier effort will be available at the public hearing.

“Since that was done in ’98 and nothing happened, one of the things that we’re fighting is a sense of apathy in the town that many things were touted but didn’t get done, so people got discouraged,” Woodbury said. He said he didn’t want people to let the failed efforts in the past prevent them from moving forward.

It’s important for residents and businesses to attend the public hearing and have a say in the future of their community, he said.