The Caribou Riverfront Redevelopment Committee’s next meeting is August 18, 2026, at 5:30 PM in the City Council Chambers at 25 High Street.
Project Materials
Draft plans, project information, and hearing materials are available below and will continue to be updated throughout the planning process.
FULL RIVERFRONT MASTER PLAN DRAFT – September 19, 2026
The City encourages all interested residents to participate and help shape the future vision for Caribou’s riverfront.
The City of Caribou has been awarded an EPA FY2023 Brownfields Cleanup Grant on the Aroostook River for the site of the Power Plants. For more information, please visit https://www.cariboumaine.org/grants/
Caribou Riverfront Redevelopment Committee (CRRC)
At the September 20th Caribou City Council Meeting the Council approved the Ordinance No. 16, 2021 Series, Chapter 20 Riverfront Development Committee making the Caribou Riverfront Redevelopment Committee (CRRC) an official committee of the city.
In 2022 the CRRC has been working diligently to identify and prioritize riverfront assets, designate the Riverfront Development District complete with Land Use and Zoning, reach out to property owners, work with our neighboring communities in petitioning the MDOT Commissioner on a railroad right of way (ROW) reuse study, set goals, and work to restore interests of renewed commercial, residential, and recreational opportunities along the Aroostook River while celebrating the riverfront as vital part of our community and the CRRC, at the February 15, 2022, meeting voted to recommend to the Caribou Planning Board the formation and designation of a Riverfront Development Overlay District.
Work on a Land Use Table and Zoning unique to this district has already begun to be applied to the Overlay District as created by the Caribou Planning Board to be ultimately approved to by act of Ordinance by the Caribou City Council.
CRRC is seeking funding to create the Riverfront Redevelopment Master Plan. A master plan is a dynamic, long-term planning document that provides a conceptual layout to guide future growth and development. The Committee unanimously agrees that such a plan is necessary to capture and guide current and future efforts in the Riverfront area. It is also a key factor in support of any grant application for future implementation activities and will be an integral part of the Caribou 2024 Comprehensive Plan.
The Committee has received a preliminary estimate of $50,000.00 to complete such a plan. Fund-raising activity to date has yielded commitments of $10,000.00. We have received a grant $472,550 from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) to use towards Riverfront Plans & Projects.
The Riverfront Master Plan kickoff was held in October of 2025, with an initial public hearing and workshop held on November 6th, 2025. Over the Winter, the City and Riverfront Redevelopment Committee worked to design a survey to distribute to the public that gathered information on current use of the riverfront, desired uses, and more. The survey and draft Existing Conditions Report was developed from December through March of 2026, with a Market Analysis conducted in the Spring of 2026. Based upon the conditions and opportunities found, the City hosted several workshops and informal opportunities for the public to comment on draft concepts. One such opportunity was at the June 11th Thursdays on Sweden Street event, where Committee members and staff gathered additional input. Through the Summer of 2026, a second Public Hearing was held on June 16th. The Plan was then put together and a draft finalized in August and September, which is currently still being reviewed by the Committee. The Plan will be reviewed again in October with potential to be recommended for forwarding to the City Council for their review.
The finalized product will identify areas for investment and opportunities the City can pursue to partner and receive grant funds to create additional business, recreation, and mixed-use space at the Riverfront. An implementation plan will be created to phase out and guide the City in next steps, which will all involve substantial public input. It is important to note that this is a guiding document that will allow the City to pursue State, Federal, and grant funds and attract business to Caribou. The plans are well thought out concepts only at this point and will be implemented through a public process in the long term.
For any questions, please contact Eric Sanderson at esanderson@cariboumaine.org or (207) 498-5096
MEETING INFORMATION & ARCHIVES:
| September 24, 2026 | ||||
| June 25, 2024 | Agenda | Minutes | Packet | |
| May 21, 2024 | Packet | |||
| April 23, 2024 | ||||
| March 19, 2024 | Packet | |||
| February 27, 2024 | Packet | |||
| January 30, 2024 | Minutes | Packet | ABCA Public Hearing | |
| February 14, 2023 | Agenda | Minutes | Packet | |
| January 24, 2023 | Agenda | Packet | ||
| November 15, 2022 | Agenda | Packet | ||
| October 25, 2022 | Agenda | Packet | ||
| September 20, 2022 | Agenda | Packet | ||
| August 23, 2022 | Agenda | Packet | ||
| July 12, 2022 | Agenda | |||
| June 21, 2022 | Minutes | |||
| April 19, 2022 | Agenda | |||
| March 15, 2022 | Agenda | Packet | ||
| February 15, 2022 | Agenda | Packet | ||
| January 18, 2022 | Agenda | Packet |
DONATIONS:
OTHER PERTINENT DOCUMENTS:
Letter of Commitment for the Caribou Diesel Power Plant
Chapter 22: Caribou Development Committee
Final Notice and Public Review of a Proposed Activity in a Floodplain