BETHEL — The Northern Forest Center invites the public to celebrate the redevelopment of the historic Gehring House, which opened in mid-May to provide the community with nine new apartments. Board and staff from the Northern Forest Center, project partners and funders, local leaders, Woodhull Construction, and many subcontractors will be on hand to celebrate the success of this project.
The event begins at 11 a.m. at 70 Broad Street in Bethel, Maine. Light refreshments will be provided. Attendees arriving by car should park on nearby streets or in public lots, as parking is not available at the building.
“We’re thrilled with the results of the renovation,” said Center President Rob Riley. “Even more, we’re excited to see the apartments filled with people who will make this their home and contribute to the vibrancy of Bethel.”
Speakers at the event will include Center board Chair Tim Volk, Bill Clough of the Betterment Foundation, community member and former Center board member Celina Adams, Michael Cleary of Woodhull Construction, local contractor Gardner Waldeier, community leader and local advisor Robin Zinchuk, and Center President Rob Riley.
New Housing through Impact Investments and Philanthropy
The Center funded the first phase of the Gehring House property redevelopment from diverse sources, including impact investment capital from the Center’s Northern Forest Fund, historic tax credits, and charitable donations.
Lead funders included the U.S. Forest Service, Maine Preservation – 1772 Foundation, The W. Richard Bingham and Winifred W. Bingham Foundation, Thomas W. Haas Foundation, Betterment Fund, and Maine Timberlands Charitable Trust.
Additional support for this project was provided by generous gifts from Norway Savings Bank, the Rotary Club of Bethel, Hancock Lumber, and individual donors.
The building, originally built for Dr. John and Mrs. Gehring in 1896, now includes nine apartments on three levels. It has been updated to modern standards while maintaining the historic integrity of the building.
“This project creates more quality, long-term rentals in Bethel,” said Center Program Manager Amy Scott. “We’ve created apartments for primary residences – not the second-home market, nor for short-term rentals. And we’re proud to pay full property taxes even though we’re not required to as a non-profit.”
The Center paid $1.85 million to buy the 10-acre parcel and the historic Gehring House, which had stood empty since 2009, and $4 million to redevelop the property, bringing the total cost to $5.9 million. The building redevelopment project is part of the Center’s community revitalization work in western Maine and is one of several housing development initiatives underway. Woodhull Construction served as general contractor on the project and hired numerous local contractors and tradespeople to work on the project.
The Gehring House is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the renovation conformed to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation.
The Northern Forest Center is an innovation and investment partner serving the Northern Forest of northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In 2017, the Center expanded its programming to include redeveloping underused properties to enable more people to find homes and contribute to rural communities.