BAR HARBOR — With a little more than two-thirds of the way toward its goal, the Bar Harbor Village Improvement Association is appealing to the community to raise the last third needed to repair the iconic Shore Path in town.
To date, the VIA has been privately raising funds, including its largest donation, $300,000 from the Bar Harbor Inn, which is located near the head of the half-mile stretch of path that hugs Frenchman Bay and extends from the town wharf to Wayman Lane along private property. The VIA has also pledged $300,000 toward the repairs.
The cost to repair the path, which includes replacing nearly 500 feet of retaining wall and resurfacing the entire half-mile stretch, is estimated at $900,000.
Last week the VIA received a donation of $25,000 from Stephen Coston, a local lodging owner whose holdings under the business name Stay Bar Harbor include the nearby Bass Cottages and Ullikana. That donation raised the total of the GoFundMe to $70,000 of a $300,000 goal.
The Shore Path remains closed while repairs already begun by the Bar Harbor Inn are made. It is unclear how long the path will remained closed. The VIA maintains the path on behalf of the property owners, who have allowed the walking trail to pass by their properties since 1881. Over the years, the organization has rebuilt portions of the seawall, replacing large coping stones and masonry rocks with concrete. The areas that have been previously rebuilt withstood the storm, but the older portions need to be rebuilt to those same standards.
Donations came be made online through GoFundMe at https://tinyurl.com/ycx9wdax or PayPal at https://tinyurl.com/57xu79u2. Checks payable to “Shorepath Fund Bar Harbor VIA” can be mailed to 127 West St., in Bar Harbor or delivered to Window Panes at 166 Main St. in Bar Harbor.
“Together, we will turn the tide and ensure the Shore Path remains a beacon of beauty and tranquility for generations to come,” said David Witham of Witham Family Properties and VIA board member.
