Staff Writer

L.L. Bean plans to develop a 700-acre outdoor adventure center in Freeport, with the goal of creating a national recreation destination.

Visitors might hike, bike, play golf or cross-country ski on the site off Desert Road, or go kayaking, seal watching or fishing in nearby Casco Bay. Then they could eat and stay the night on the property.

The company also hopes these visitors would stop by the flagship store and buy products and services to help them enjoy the activities.

No development costs, visitor projections or employment estimates are being publicly discussed at this point. Still, the project represents a major undertaking and expansion of strategic direction for Bean, a family-owned company with net revenue last year of $1.5 billion.

Roughly 3 million people walk through the Freeport stores every year, making L.L. Bean Maine's second-most popular tourism destination behind Acadia National Park.

In recent years, Bean has branched out into recreation through its Outdoor Discovery Schools. A destination adventure center such as the one being discussed would propel Bean from being a store, mail-order retailer and a brand into a full-fledged outdoor experience, the company said Monday.

"It's quite a stepping out for us," said Carolyn Beem, a Bean spokeswoman. "But it's something we think is exciting and can really take off."

Bean is on a fast track to make the project happen. It plans to pick finalists early next month to submit proposals for how to develop the project. It wants to see the theme park operating within three years.

"It is an aggressive timetable," Beem said. "But if we're going to do it, let's do it. It's where we want to position ourselves."

Bean operates seven full-price retail stores and 14 outlets on the East Coast. It plans to open 35 more full-price stores within five years, and future stores also could be linked to outdoor adventure centers in other states, Beem said.

In developing its vision, Bean didn't draw inspiration from retail competitors, said Brad Kauffman, senior vice president for strategic planning. Rather, it saw an opportunity to capitalize on the broader trend of experiential tourism.

"This is consistent with what we think people want in terms of travel and vacation," Kauffman said.

Details of Bean's plan are contained in a confidential document that asks an undisclosed number of national hotel development companies to spell out their qualifications for handling such a project. The Press Herald obtained a copy of the request, and Bean agreed to discuss it Monday.

Here's a summary:

The company wants to develop an outdoor adventure center with lodging and dining on 700 acres it owns at the corner of Desert Road and Interstate 295. A nine-hole golf course currently operates on part of the site. The course could be integrated, redeveloped or removed, depending on the final shape of the project.

Bean is considering a variety of activities, including hiking, biking, camping, orienteering, climbing walls and skating.

"The overarching goal," the company wrote, "is to expand our relationship with our customers, enhance the customer experience (with Bean) and draw more customers to L.L. Bean's flagship store in Freeport, Maine, for a fuller experience of the brand."

Bean is asking hotel development companies to help it with some of the marketing research, design and development, and management of daily operations. Bean doesn't want to operate a hotel and related facilities. A developer would have to finance and own the buildings; Bean would offer a long-term lease on its land and plans to achieve "a reasonable financial return."

As a concept, Bean envisions a "family-friendly outdoor adventure attraction with lodging amenities under something similar to a theme park operating model." The lodging facility could be branded as L.L. Bean, or could be independently or nationally branded with a Bean reference.

"The Desert Road Project...