WILLOW CREEK — The former administrative office of Willow Creek Custom Flooring, vacant since the mill scaled back operations in 2022, could find new life as the town’s first dedicated visitor center under a proposal advanced by the Economic Development Committee.
The 2,400-square-foot building at 14 River Road sits at the junction of the Mattawamkeag River Trail trailhead and the downtown corridor, making it what committee members describe as an ideal gateway location.
“Visitors arrive at the trailhead, look around, and have no obvious place to get information,” said Eleanor Vance, who drafted the proposal. “A visitor center changes that. It becomes the front door to the entire community.”
The plan includes space for brochures and maps, public restrooms, a small retail section for locally made products, and a permanent exhibit on the town’s mill history and the Ice-Out tradition.
Stu Peller, general manager of Willow Creek Custom Flooring, has indicated willingness to sell the building to the town at a reduced price. “That building was my father’s office for thirty years,” Peller said. “I’d rather see it be something for the town than sit empty.”
The next step is a $25,000 feasibility study, funded through a grant from the Maine Office of Tourism. If approved, the center could open by spring 2026.