E-mail: Director: Keith Cyr (207) 728-3612

Community Development provides assistance to local businesses to expand their services through gap financing and grant funding or through the Madawaska UDAG loan program. The office welcomes and encourages new business growth and administers and supports various local, state and federal programs that can benefit the community. The Economic and Community Development office writes and administers grants for a variety of Town projects or businesses.

Suzie Paradis, the Director of Community Development, is a sole member of the office and has been serving the Town of Madawaska for 10 years. Since 2005, Suzie has helped the Town and local businesses receive over $14 million dollars in grant money. Mardens, Four Seasons Lodge, Tim Hortons, Inn of Acadia, Gateway Hospitality and the new Community Gym are just some of the new developments she has helped facilitate in this Town. Some of the bigger grant programs she works with to obtain money for the Community include CDBG (Community Development Block Grants), Federal Emergency Management Agency; FEMA, Economic Development Administration; EDA, Rural Development, Department of Conservation and Department of Transportation funding and Efficiency Maine Incentives to name a few. Suzie has applied and received the Maine Downtown Network recognition for the community. Madawaska is one of four communities within Aroostook County to have achieved this designation.

Not only does Suzie want to see new businesses enter the area, she would like the community’s support in retaining Madawaska’s existing businesses. She believes growth in the manufacturing and agriculture industry would also be beneficial for the Town of Madawaska.

For more information on how to receive assistance to open, retain or expand on an existing business, contact Suzie Paradis at Community Development at (207)728-3612.