the value of the project estimated at
$88,000. The hotel remained Keddy’s
for nearly 20 years, though few records
remain as to the owner of record at that
time.
City records indicate Dalton
Scovil purchased the property, which
had fallen into receivership, in
November 1998 and shortly thereafter
it became the County View Hotel.
Less than a year and a half later,
Simmons purchased the hotel and
began the process of updating the
facility, adding a touch of elegance
and family atmosphere throughout, as
well as a new name: Presque Isle Inn
& Convention Center – taking on a
similar name to Simmons’ first hotel
in Aroostook County, the Caribou Inn
& Convention Center.
Simmons first came to
Aroostook County in the fall of 1990
looking at potential hospitality properties.
He returned several times until his purchase
of the Caribou Inn & Convention Center –
formerly Caribou Motor Inn - on March 23,
1994, becoming a member of the Aroostook
County community at the age of 28. The
new owner, originally from Portland, was
excited to bring his knowledge of the
industry and his own ideas to Aroostook
County.
“We’ve
completed
significant
renovations to our guest rooms; we have
added extended-stay suites, with full
kitchen and living areas. In 2009, all rooms
received new furnishing and additional
amenities. Additional upgrades are being
phased in in some suites and a few guest
room bathrooms at present,” he said.
The facility offers the latest
amenities, making any stay – be it a family
on vacation or a business trip – a pleasant
one.
“The interior private areas and public
areas have been upgraded. We have made
substantial energy-efficient upgrades to our
operational and mechanical systems, as well
as installing advanced technological systems.
We offer wireless Internet access. New stateof-the-art computer systems have been
installed in the restaurant and at the front
desk, allowing us to be more competitive in
today’s marketplace,” Simmons noted.
Simmons remembers shortly after his
purchase, he had to replace the over 30-yearold boiler system that was manually run by
turning and shutting off valves.
“It was pretty scary,” he said.
36 Presque Isle Inn 10th SUMMER 2010