Northport Multiuse retreat announces opening

Walter Griffin

Jul. 16, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- NORTHPORT, Maine -- The Erickson Foundation has announced the recent opening of its Point Lookout Retreat and Conference Center.

Set on 380 acres off Route 1, the site includes upscale accommodations and state-of-the-art conference facilities, as well as athletic facilities. Point Lookout features a fitness center and gymnasium, a bowling alley and guest cabins, all set against the backdrop of Ducktrap Mountain and Penobscot Bay.

Marketing Director Neal Williamson said the facility has been in use for the past couple of months, especially by nonprofit organizations throughout the area. He said the company was targeting groups throughout Maine at this point but planned to extend its marketing reach in the future.

"We're largely networking with the state of Maine," Williamson said Tuesday. "We're really seeing uses from organizations from the midcoast area and up into Bangor."

The Maryland-based Erickson Foundation purchased the property late last year. The resort was built in the 1990s by MBNA and had been closed for the past two years.

Starting this month, people will be able to rent cottages or purchase memberships in the fitness club and bowling alley. Point Lookout is the newest venture of company chairman and CEO John Erickson, joining Erickson Retirement Communities, the firm's core business of developing and managing retirement communities, as well as offshoots such as the Retirement Living TV network, NorthBay environmental education center, and the Erickson Advantage health plan.

Williamson said the center provides a place where people who are recently or soon-to-be retired can prepare for the next phase of their life and explore their options, with everything from wellness assessments to post-retirement career planning available onsite. In addition, it is a place where companies and nonprofits, particularly those that serve older adults, can explore strategies for improving the lives of seniors, he said.

It also will serve as a satellite campus for The Erickson School at the University of Maryland and a resource for other schools and institutions that educate professionals in the field of aging.

"We want to cater to people midlife and beyond -- empty nesters with time on their hands looking to spend some time at a beautiful place on the midcoast," Williamson said. "We're looking at people heading into retirement, helping them plan for it and develop goals for it."

The center is part of Erickson's desire to change the face of senior living in America and improve quality of life in retirement years. The company expects it to be a national destination and resource center for the advancement of positive aging.

For meetings, the 18,000-square-foot conference center at Point Lookout features a large lobby, private dining room, five meeting rooms, a kitchen and a sitting room. The center is outfitted with the latest audiovisual technology.

The front lawn provides an inviting setting for small receptions, cocktail parties and dinners. Additional meeting spaces and event venues onsite include a 6,000-square-foot ballroom complete with a reception area, several enclosed porches, and a full-service kitchen, as well as Ginley Pavilion, an 11,000-square-foot space with gas grills and lobster cookers for barbecues or lobster feasts. The pavilion also features retractable walls and a heating system.

For overnight guests, Point Lookout offers 106 guest cabins. The one-, two -- and three-bedroom cabins include kitchenettes, living areas and one or two bathrooms, as well as Internet access.

Point Lookout offers private dining rooms as well as banquet facilities, and both buffet and wait-served meals are available in all the conference buildings.

Erickson expects to employ a total of 50 people there by the end of this year. For information, call 800-515-3611.

wgriffin@bangordailynews.net

338-9546

Newstex ID: KRTB-0135-26703392