Loring Commerce Centre

Loring Commerce Centre is an industrial, commercial, and aviation redevelopment complex in northeastern Maine, near the town of Limestone in Aroostook County. It occupies the former Loring Air Force Base, a strategically important military installation whose closure in 1994 removed a major source of employment from the region. The centre was established as part of Maine’s effort to convert former military properties into productive civilian and mixed-use economic assets. The redevelopment organization behind the site is the Loring Development Authority of Maine. The authority was chartered by the Maine State Legislature in 1993 as a body corporate and politic, a public instrumentality of the state, and a municipal corporation. This structure enabled the authority to manage the former base, market its property, maintain infrastructure, and attract commercial, industrial, government, aviation, and recreational users. Loring was one of the first examples of a Maine special-purpose municipal corporation created to support the reuse of a closing military base. The centre encompasses thousands of acres of serviced commercial, industrial, and aviation property, together with numerous existing buildings inherited from the base. The broader former-base property was described as covering approximately 9,472 acres, while the developed commerce and aviation area was described as including more than 3,800 acres. The former military airfield operates as Loring International Airport. Its runway, navigation equipment, and large hangars provide infrastructure suitable for aviation-related activity, logistics, testing, manufacturing, and special events. Loring’s tenant and user base has included businesses, public agencies, nonprofit organizations, and service providers. Activities represented at the site have included food processing, forestry, light manufacturing, transportation, aviation services, professional services, call-center operations, satellite tracking, military equipment refurbishment, and workforce development. Organizations associated with the site have included the Defense Finance and Accounting Service’s Limestone operation, the United States Department of Labor’s Loring Job Corps Center, the Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge, Stantec, Sitel, Bigelow Aerospace, Loring Industries, and other local and regional enterprises. The site has been presented as a flexible, campus-like location offering substantial land, existing buildings, and comparatively low-cost business real estate. The redevelopment has also incorporated public, environmental, cultural, and recreational uses. The Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge occupies approximately 4,700 acres of former base property, including the former weapons area. The Loring Air Museum operates in a former base bank and preserves the military installation’s history. The airfield has hosted major Phish festivals, including The Great Went in 1997, Lemonwheel in 1998, and It in 2003. These events brought an estimated 65,000 attendees and temporarily transformed the remote airfield into a large camping and concert community. Loring’s runway has additionally served as a venue for land-speed trials and motorcycle speed events organized by groups such as the Loring Timing Association, the Cumberland Motor Club, and the National Speed Shootout. In 2011, motorcycle rider Bill Warner recorded a reported 311.945 miles per hour at the site. Warner later died in a runway crash during a 2013 event. The centre continues to be positioned as an economic-development and property-reuse platform rather than as a conventional consumer-facing product brand. A significant later development was a long-term lease signed by DG Fuels in November 2022 for approximately 1,240 acres. DG Fuels announced plans for a sustainable aviation fuel facility, with construction expected to begin in 2024 and completion targeted for 2027. The proposed project would add an energy and advanced-manufacturing dimension to Loring’s portfolio and reinforce the site’s continuing role in large-scale industrial redevelopment.

Loring Commerce Centre developed from Loring Air Force Base, a large military installation in northern Maine. When the base closed in 1994, the region faced the loss of a substantial employment base and the challenge of managing an extensive collection of runways, hangars, offices, housing, utilities, and other military infrastructure. Maine responded by creating a dedicated redevelopment authority rather than leaving the property to fragmented local administration. The Maine Legislature chartered the Loring Development Authority of Maine in 1993. The authority was structured as a body corporate and politic, a public instrumentality of the state, and a municipal corporation. Its mandate included taking responsibility for the former base, preserving and marketing usable infrastructure, attracting tenants, and converting the property into a civilian economic asset. The authority subsequently created and promoted Loring Commerce Centre across the former base property. The redevelopment model emphasized the availability of extensive land, existing modern and practical buildings, aviation infrastructure, and relatively low real-estate costs. The centre’s commercial and industrial area was described as covering more than 3,800 acres, within a broader former-base property of roughly 9,472 acres. The former airfield became Loring International Airport. Although the former air traffic control tower was closed after the military departure, navigation systems including VOR/DME and ILS equipment remained operational. Over time, the site attracted a diverse group of users rather than a single dominant industry. Commercial activity included food processing, forestry, light manufacturing, trucking, call centers, aviation services, and professional services. Government and public-sector users also returned to the property. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service established DFAS Limestone in the former base hospital as one of its consolidated operating locations. The United States Department of Labor established a Job Corps center intended to prepare young people for careers including culinary work and medical support. The Maine Military Authority used a large hangar for Humvee refurbishment for the United States Army and Marine Corps in partnership with Loring Industries until that contract ended. Technology and aerospace-related activity has also appeared at the centre. Bigelow Aerospace maintained a small satellite tracking station, while SAIC worked on an uncrewed blimp project at the base. Stantec maintained a professional-services office. The tenant mix demonstrated the flexibility of the property, but also reflected the difficulty of replacing the scale and stability of the former military mission with a single commercial industry. By 2002, the Air Force Real Property Agency regarded Loring as one of its more successful recent base-reuse projects, citing the employment and activity generated through redevelopment. Loring’s post-military identity expanded beyond business. The Loring Air Museum, located in a former base bank, preserves the site’s military history. The Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1998 on approximately 4,700 acres of former base property, including the former weapons area. The airfield became a major event location when Phish staged The Great Went in 1997, Lemonwheel in 1998, and It in 2003. Each festival attracted an estimated 65,000 people, with concertgoers camping on the property. The runway also became a venue for land-speed testing. Events associated with the Loring Timing Association, the Cumberland Motor Club, and the National Speed Shootout used the unusually long, open runway for timed trials. Bill Warner’s reported 311.945-mile-per-hour motorcycle run in 2011 brought international attention to the site’s speed-racing role. Warner died in a crash during a 2013 event. In the 2020s, Loring continued to seek large industrial users. In November 2022, DG Fuels signed a long-term lease for approximately 1,240 acres and announced plans for a sustainable aviation fuel facility. The project was described as a roughly $4 billion development, with construction expected to start in 2024 and the facility targeted for completion in 2027. This proposal connected Loring’s historic aviation infrastructure with emerging low-carbon fuel manufacturing and represented another phase in the site’s long-running transition from military installation to diversified economic and public-use complex.

• 2022

  DG Fuels leases land for sustainable aviation fuel project

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  DG Fuels signed a long-term lease for approximately 1,240 acres and announced plans for a large sustainable aviation fuel facility.

• 2013

  Speed racer dies in runway crash

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Bill Warner was killed in a crash during a motorcycle speed event at Loring.

• 2011

  Motorcycle speed record is reported at Loring

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Bill Warner reportedly reached 311.945 miles per hour on a turbocharged Suzuki motorcycle during a runway speed event.

• 2003

  Phish stages It at the former airfield

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The Phish festival It brought an estimated 65,000 attendees to Loring and reinforced the site’s role as a large-event venue.

• 2002

  Loring is cited as a successful base-reuse project

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The Air Force Real Property Agency considered Loring one of its recent success stories in military-property redevelopment.

• 1998

  Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge is established

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The United States Fish and Wildlife Service established the refuge on approximately 4,700 acres of former base property.

• 1998

  Lemonwheel is held at Loring

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Phish returned to the former airfield for the Lemonwheel festival.

• 1997

  The Great Went is held at Loring

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Phish used the former airfield for The Great Went, a large camping and concert festival.

• 1994

  Loring Air Force Base closes

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The military base closed, creating the need for a large-scale civilian redevelopment and employment-replacement program.

• 1993

  Loring Development Authority is chartered

  [1]Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The Maine Legislature chartered the Loring Development Authority of Maine as a state instrumental entity and municipal corporation to support reuse of the closing military base.

A publicly supported, large-scale military-base redevelopment platform offering industrial land, existing facilities, aviation infrastructure, and flexible real-estate opportunities in northern Maine.

• Real estate and economic development · 1994

  Industrial and commercial development sites

  Loring offers extensive serviced land for commercial, industrial, logistics, manufacturing, and institutional uses. The property combines open acreage with existing buildings inherited from the former air base, allowing tenants to pursue both new construction and adaptive reuse.

• Aviation infrastructure · 1994

  Loring International Airport

  The former military airfield operates as Loring International Airport. Its runway and retained navigation infrastructure support aviation activity, aircraft-related operations, testing, logistics, and special events.

• Industrial facilities · 1994

  Former military buildings and hangars

  The centre provides access to a large inventory of former base structures, including hangars, offices, institutional buildings, and other facilities. These spaces have supported manufacturing, government operations, equipment refurbishment, call centers, museums, and professional services.

• Events and recreation · 1997

  Large-event and runway venue

  Loring’s airfield and surrounding acreage have hosted large music festivals, camping events, land-speed trials, motorcycle competitions, and other activities requiring a very large, controlled site.

• 2003It

  United States

  Phish staged its It festival at Loring, again combining concerts with on-site camping.

  Outcome. The event reportedly drew approximately 65,000 people and demonstrated the scale of the property’s event infrastructure.

  Source
• 1998Lemonwheel

  United States

  Phish returned to Loring for another large-scale music and camping festival on the former airfield.

  Outcome. The festival reinforced the site’s reputation as a large remote event venue.

  Source
• 1997The Great Went

  United States

  Phish used Loring’s former military airfield for a large concert and camping festival. The event helped establish the property as a destination capable of handling major temporary populations.

  Outcome. The event attracted an estimated 65,000 attendees and generated national visibility for Loring’s post-base event potential.

  Source

• 2022

  Lease land for a sustainable aviation fuel facilityStrategy

  Background

  Loring sought major industrial users capable of making use of its extensive land and aviation-related infrastructure.

  Action taken

  DG Fuels signed a long-term lease for approximately 1,240 acres and proposed a sustainable aviation fuel facility.

  Aftermath

  The proposed project was expected to begin construction in 2024 and reach completion in 2027, subject to development progress.

  Announced project value. $4 billion (2022 announcement)

  Source

• 1994

  Convert the former air base into a mixed-use commerce centreStrategy

  Background

  The base closure removed military operations and civilian jobs from northern Maine.

  Action taken

  The Loring Development Authority marketed the property as a flexible, low-cost location for commercial, industrial, aviation, government, and recreational uses.

  Aftermath

  The site attracted a diversified group of private companies and public agencies and was later regarded by the Air Force Real Property Agency as a successful base-reuse project.

  Source

• 1993

  Create a dedicated redevelopment authorityStrategy

  Background

  The impending closure of Loring Air Force Base threatened regional employment and left a large military property requiring civilian management.

  Action taken

  Maine established the Loring Development Authority as a public instrumental entity and municipal corporation responsible for redeveloping and marketing the former base.

  Aftermath

  The authority became the institutional foundation for Loring Commerce Centre and its subsequent tenant, government, environmental, aviation, and event uses.

  Source

1. 1Loring Commerce Centreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Loring Commerce Centre official websiteloring.org