Colby College Sets 2026 Deadline to Rebuild Port Clyde's Fire-Ravaged Wharf
The $3.3 million redevelopment aims to preserve Port Clyde's working waterfront nearly three years after fire destroyed its general store, wharf and eateries.
Colby College told St. George's Select Board it will rebuild the wharf at the fire-ravaged Port Clyde General Store site during 2026, the Bangor Daily News reported. A fire in the Port Clyde village on September 27, 2023, destroyed the general store, the Monhegan Boat Line's terminal and the Dip Net Restaurant.
Paul Ureneck, the college's assistant vice president overseeing real estate, told board members that work on the wharf will begin in early summer 2026 and wrap up by November 2026, ahead of construction on a new main building starting in early spring 2027. Plans call for a ground-floor restaurant plus offices and shared community space for Colby's Center for Resilience and Economic Impact.
The college paid $3,325,000 for the fire-damaged parcels in November 2025, working alongside the Northlight Foundation, whose leaders Dan and Sheryl Tishman have lived in Port Clyde for years. Ureneck said the redevelopment is designed to preserve the harbor's working functions, including the existing wharf, fuel pumps and the seasonal mooring rentals boaters depend on. Squid Ink Café, The Barn and the Dip Net food truck are set to keep running in summer 2026 under their current operators.
Oak Point Associates will lead the architectural design, Gartley & Dorsky will manage engineering, and Wright-Ryan will oversee construction, according to the letter.
This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.
