Mount Desert Island Hospital and Jesup Memorial Library Launch Major Expansions in Bar Harbor

The 130‑year‑old Mount Desert Island Hospital on Maine’s Mount Desert Island will open a new main entrance on Bar Harbor’s Main Street in mid‑October. The entrance is part of a $42 million, multi‑year campus expansion that will also double the emergency department’s capacity by next summer, adding trauma, behavioral health, treatment and triage rooms. Hospital CEO Chrissi Maguire said the project aims to improve accessibility for the island’s aging residents and the seasonal influx of visitors to Acadia National Park.

At the same time, the historic Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor has completed a $10.7 million wing. The addition provides a disability‑accessible bathroom, public charging outlets and modernized space for community activities. Library community‑relations director Lila Miller highlighted the need to update the 1911 building to meet the expectations of permanent and seasonal residents.

Both projects reflect Bar Harbor’s effort to upgrade key public facilities to support its growing population and tourism economy.