A longtime fixture in Aroostook County’s outdoor sporting world will stop operating in December.
The Nordic Heritage Outdoor Center of Presque Isle announced Tuesday that it will close around Dec. 1.
Declining use and rising operating costs prompted the decision, according to the Portland-based Libra Foundation, which funds the center’s operations.
The Nordic Heritage Center sits on 750 acres and features more than 30 miles of trails for cross-country skiing, hiking and mountain biking. It has also hosted world junior biathlon championships as well as numerous local events. Its lodge can hold up to 150 people and has a common room, locker areas and kitchen, while an outdoor patio area can accommodate 300 guests, according to the center’s website.
Built in 2000, the center is owned by Pineland Farms of Mars Hill, Libra Executive Vice President Erik Hayward said Tuesday.
“It’s operated by the city of Presque Isle and that operating agreement is ending,” Hayward said. “The Libra Foundation has funded operations at that facility for almost 25 years and is very pleased with the history of that facility.”
The Presque Isle city council voted three years ago to take over the center’s operation, with Libra continuing its funding. Just six months ago, the recreation department reported the center was seeing promising growth.
Despite that, the owner has terminated its agreement with the city, according to a social media post issued Tuesday by the Libra Foundation. The center is expected to close on or around Dec. 1.
“As public interests and competing community needs evolve, maintaining operations presents significant challenges. Usership trends have waned as oversight/operational needs increase. The property owner will therefore pursue new purposes for the facilities,” the post stated.
City officials are still digesting the news, City Manager Tyler Brown said Tuesday.
“We are sad to see that Libra has made the strategic decision to close the facility,” Brown said. “The city of Presque Isle and surrounding communities have enjoyed this wonderful resource for many decades.”
Libra has decided to terminate the agreement with the city, under which the recreation department operated the Nordic Heritage Center, Brown said. The foundation has not released much information other than what it posed on social media, he said.
No city employees are being cut and the department’s budget will not be affected by the closure, he said. The city operated it under an agreement with the Libra Foundation and made no money from the venture.
The foundation will look for a new direction, but so far has not defined what that means, Brown said.
The city council will likely discuss the center and what the future directions will be for outdoor programming, he said.
