Acadia’s Jordan Pond House Is Needing All The Help It Can Get
The Jordan Pond House is a tradition for a lot of Mainers.
My mom and I have been going down to the Jordan Pond House every fall for years. We like to wait until the leaves start to change a bit, and then head down for a brunch of popovers and conversation. Not that the conversation is about anything important. We just like to sit, enjoy the sights, and eat delicious popovers.
2020 was the first fall we hadn't gone down in years. Like everybody and everything, we skipped it because of covid. We tried making them at home, but it wasn't nearly the same. Who wants to eat their own cooking when you can have someone else do it, right?
Right now though, the Pond House is in a bit of trouble.
According to the BDN, the building suffered a fire several decades ago, but there were many design flaws that are currently having an impact on the very structure itself. Water is getting into areas that it shouldn't and is wreaking all manner of havoc on the support structure of the building. Repairs are being made, but it's not enough apparently.
The problems are going far beyond the repair process and it looks like the whole thing needs to be torn down and rebuilt, to the tune of $10 - $20 million. this would be an all-new restaurant, gift shop, outdoor decks, and a redesign of the parking lot as well... Basically reimagining the entire property.
Even an "upgrade" would still come in at around 75% of the proposed cost. So, it would seem the smart move is to do it all. But the plan is still a few years away, with much planning to be done, so this won't happen overnight. But this would be a massive overhaul for the Pond House. We'll keep you posted...