MILLINOCKET (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- Some big news for development of the Katahdin Region. The owner of New England Outdoor Center and Twin Pine Camps on Millinocket Lake got the green light to move ahead with plans for a million dollar event center.
Matthew Polstein says the expansion, which just got approval from the Maine Land Use Planning Commission, could add jobs and boost year-round tourism in the region.
"We just re-zoned land in a site that we feel is really exceptional for a venue of this nature," said Polstein. "It's actually a site I'm sure people would love to get married in, beautiful views of Katahdin across Millinocket Lake but it's also a central point in our trail system. So mountain bikers and cross country skiers using the trails will be able to use this place as a warming hut."
The next step he says is to figure out a design for the building and then hopefully break ground in the spring.
Polstein started his business in the 1980s and it's been expanding since. In recent years, the camp that looks out at Mount Katahdin has become a destination for weddings and corporate meetings.