ROCKPORT — Maine Media Workshops + College President Meg Weston said Thursday that this week's announcement of the gift of five parcels of land in Rockport to the college shows the important role it continues to play for a variety of vested interests.

For Leucadia National Corporation, which agreed last year to be acquired by HomeFed Corporation in exchange for shares of its common stock, it means a divestiture of its real estate holdings in Rockport.

In addition to recently gifting property to Maine Media, HomeFed on April 10 listed Brewster Point for sale for $8 million.

Through a matching gift from HomeFed, Maine Media now owns an additional 14 acres of land. Consisting of five parcels, one parcel lies adjacent to the current campus and connects it to Route 1 to the west. The other four are at 49 Camden St., 71 Camden St., 52 Grove St. and 242 Commercial St. (Route 1), which is home to Windjammer Motel that provides student housing.

The donation portion of the property transferred to the college is valued at more than $1 million, according to a press release from the college Wednesday. For tax assessment purposes, the properties are valued at a total of $1,866,100, according to the town of Rockport's assessment records online.

"Since the college became a nonprofit seven or eight years ago through the original campus gift, a lot has happened," said Weston. "This most recent gift shows the importance of the school to the community locally, but also to the people who attend."

The major gift is described as serving as "the cornerstone of a bold plan for future growth, and reflects a trend of growing, positive momentum for this Midcoast Maine educational center for visual storytelling."

The connection between Leucadia and Maine Media is not new, as Leucadia has a long history of providing financial support toward Maine Media's mission, said Weston.

"This is a major milestone in the continuing growth of Maine Media Workshops + College as a nonprofit institution," said Weston in the release. "It is further evidence of broad community support that is making a difference to the students that come here from all over the world."

The receipt of the land is described as integral to fulfilling Maine Media's campus master plan that was completed in 2014 at the direction of its Board of Directors in alignment with the school's strategic plan for growth. The campus plan was developed with input from faculty, staff, the board, and with assistance and support from Elliott & Elliott Architects of Blue Hill. The plan's goal is to upgrade existing infrastructure and seamlessly integrate new facilities. This plan is flexible, will accommodate changing needs or objectives, and will be implemented over time as resources allow.

According to the release, the plan calls for those resources to go toward what will ultimately be a new home for Maine Media's young artist programs, new housing for those students, a media arts and technology center, and a handicapped-accessible student welcome center, among other things.

In the release, Weston said "it is an ambitious vision that will be made possible, in part, by the acquisition of these 14 valuable acres."

Some of the growth has already begun, including renovating the ground floor of its Ernst Haas Building and creating the new Book Arts Studio and Alternative Process Darkroom, paired with an outdoor teaching space.

According to the release, "Maine Media sees that new studio — and this new gift of land — as emblematic of a series of positive trends that showcase Maine Media's renewed growth. Maine Media has enjoyed increasing enrollment for the last three years. The number of donors to the school nearly doubled since 2013. And thanks to some of those generous donors, Maine Media was able to grant more scholarships last year than ever before: 42 individuals received more than $60,000 in scholarships."

On the other side of town, HomeFed is hoping to find a new owner for Brewster Point, which was originally acquired in 2006 by Leucadia for $16 million. Since that acquisition, the 116-acre property was planned for development into 45 home sites with "plentiful green space, common areas and working farm concept," according to the Camden Real Estate sales brochure. Substantial infrastructure investments were made to the site, including municipal water and sewer and underground utilities. The property is currently approved for a 29- to 45-lot subdivision, with all municipal and state licenses in place.

"There is potential for future income, should one go through the 45-lot process and sell them, but also if someone wanted a large parcel on the water, of which there are very few, they could buy it for themselves," said Alex Cohen, of Camden Real Estate, the co-listing agent with Scott Horty.

"There is also the possibility of some conservation potential should some groups want to go that route,” he said. “The blacktop could be removed and carriage trails introduced, and then offer with fewer lots, five large lots.”

Cohen said the property has been certified organic by the Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association. In the early concept of the development, he said there were discussions about creating a farm component on the property, which includes a 40-foot by 80-foot classic equipment barn with hayloft and a 42-foot by 96-foot farmer's barn, which is a late 1800s-era post and beam restored structure with vaulted ceilings and open spaces.

"That barn has already been used over the years by nonprofits for various events and things," said Cohen. "It's not just 45 lots, but rather it has potential uses with new imagination and a fresh approach. It is not about a golf course or resort, but rather a farm that benefits the residents and maybe the larger community, as well."

The Brewster Point property, which includes the 1-acre Ram Island bird sanctuary, 1,000-feet off shore, also has a pier and a stone jetty, as well as the single Dutch Colonial residence that has served as the property's sales office.

HomeFed Corporation acquired the real estate assets of Leucadia National Corporation in 2014, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In Maine, that includes Brewster Point in Rockport, Northeast Point in Islesboro and miscellaneous small mixed use buildings and lots in and around Rockport. According to its annual report for fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2014, the various mixed use buildings in Rockport will be marketed for sale beginning in 2015.

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com