Island Falls has adapted before
The town grew by putting its river, forests, rail connection, and entrepreneurial energy to work. The task now is not to recreate the past, but to adapt the former starch factory for the opportunities in front of Island Falls today.
Adapt the property, not the town’s past
Island Falls was built where the Mattawamkeag River, productive land, and the railroad came together. Its founders recognized the town’s natural advantages and organized businesses and community life around them.
The economy changed. Downtown still carries buildings made for an earlier pattern of production, including a waterfront property whose location remains valuable even though its former use does not.
Then and Now
- Then
- A working downtown, anchored by mills and the rail line.
- Now
- Buildings built for a 1900s economy, sitting underused today.
The downtown isn't earning what it could. Fixing that is what this case study is about.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths and weaknesses are inside the town's control. Opportunities and threats come from outside it.
Strengths
What's already working, inside the town's control
- Natural beauty and outdoor recreation on the Mattawamkeag River
- Historic 19th- and 20th-century architecture downtown
- A strong, tight-knit community
- Location on Route 2
Weaknesses
What's holding the town back, inside its control
- Economic decline since the starch factory closed
- No public sewer system
- Few amenities and services
- An aging, shrinking workforce
Opportunities
What could work in the town's favor, from outside
- Tourism, built on the river and the outdoors
- Small-business growth, with the right incentives
- Reusing historic buildings instead of losing them
- Grant funding for revitalization
Threats
What could work against the town, from outside
- Competition from nearby towns
- Young people continuing to leave
- Difficulty attracting private investment
The former starch factory affects more than its own tax bill
The old starch factory once helped carry the town. It still sits on some of the best waterfront in Island Falls, but today the buildings are falling apart.
It is the first thing people see driving into town. Its condition affects confidence in nearby property, the image of downtown, and the value available to help carry municipal costs.
The cost of fixing it up now exceeds what the property would be worth once fixed. No private buyer will take that on alone.
Current State
Ten and a half acres in six parcels, assessed at $513,400, pay $10,011.30 a year. The largest of the six parcels is the 15th most valuable mapped parcel in town.
It should be paying considerably more.
Change the conditions before asking the market to build
Establish an Economic Development Fund to create a controlled vehicle for investigation and preparation before the town chooses any funding level or material project action.
Test a use built around what is already there
Island Falls has a river, easy highway access, and a downtown built for it. The town's comprehensive plan already identifies waterfront lodging as something the town needs. Waterfront lodging is a concept to test against demand, infrastructure, cost, environmental findings, and community priorities—not an approved final use.
Waterfront Lodging Development
Waterfront lodging would:
- Bring outside spending into town
- Create jobs for residents
- Fix the negative-equity problem that's stalling private redevelopment
- Make it easier to attract new residents and encourage investment in existing properties
Immediate Impact:
New development like this raises nearby property values quickly, and gets downtown contributing what it's capable of.
What It Would Support Locally
Local Business
- More revenue for the grocery stores
- More customers for gas stations
- More use of the golf course
- More business for venues and pubs
Economic Growth
- Room for new restaurants
- New jobs
- Higher property values town-wide
- A steadier source of tax revenue
Establish an Economic Development Fund
The fund creates a controlled vehicle for project-readiness work without setting a funding level. Establishment does not authorize spending, acquisition, demolition, borrowing, construction, a developer, or a final use; each material action requires a later public decision.
Grant Opportunities
Waterfront cleanup and visitor access may compete for Maine grant programs, but eligibility and awards would depend on the final scope and each program’s review.
TIF & Fund Governance
PIA Industries could model Tax Increment Financing and funding options with disclosed assumptions. Any funding level, TIF action, or work authorization would return to the town for approval. See The Numbers.
Expected Outcomes
Jobs
New jobs in hospitality, tourism, and the businesses that support them.
Property Values
Valuations rise across town as downtown becomes an asset instead of a liability.
School Funding
A larger tax base means more resources available for the schools.
Tourism
A year-round economy built on the river and the outdoors.
A Downtown to Point To
Somewhere residents can be proud of, instead of driving past.
Steadier Revenue
30+ years of added tax contribution, easing the load on lake-property owners.
PIA Industries would manage a staged public process
Under a separately approved agreement, PIA Industries would serve as the proposed economic development partner, using parcel, GIS, financial, TIF, and source-verification tools to coordinate analysis, financing strategy, licensed specialists, and partner discussions. Findings and material commitments would be returned to the town for public decision before acquisition, demolition, borrowing, construction, or final-use selection.