Bangor\u27s downtown, once nearly empty, now has an occupancy rate of over 90 perce

Bangor\u27s downtown, once nearly empty, now has an occupancy rate of over 90 percent. Two new hotels are going up, and cruise lines make regular stops on the newly resurgent Penobscot River waterfront, where the annual American Folk Festival attracts more than 150,000 visitors. The revitalized city anchors an area of more than 93,000 people. Much of the credit goes to a city council willing to take risks and to architect, visionary, and former mayor John Rohman. The city bustles with live music, theatres, restaurants, museums, bookstores, bakeries, and new condos and apartments. It also hosts the state\u27s only racino, and its crime rate increased at a greater rate than any city in Maine