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| Bates Mill Complex | |
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In September 1999, Peoples
Heritage Bank announced that it would locate a second operations center in the historic
Bates Mill Complex in Lewiston, Maine. Over 300 new employees will join the 300
Peoples’ employees who currently work in the complex. A portion of Mill No. 3 will be
renovated to house the new operations center. In conjunction with this development, the
City of Lewiston, owner of the complex, announced that it will construct a courtyard next
to Mill No. 3 as well as a parking garage to accommodate users of the mill buildings. The Bates Mill Complex consists of eleven major buildings situated on a ten acre parcel adjacent to downtown Lewiston (Maine’s second largest city). Constructed between 1852 and 1924 as a textile mill, it is of great economic, historical, and cultural value to the people of the Lewiston-Auburn community. Its redevelopment is a significant priority of Lewiston’s downtown revitalization efforts. Redevelopment began in 1992 when the Mill was acquired by the City due to a matured tax lien. In 1996, a true "public/private partnership" was formed when the City entered into a joint development agreement with the Bates Mill Limited Liability Company for the continued development of the Mill. The principals of this company, Thomas H. Platz, James A. Platz, and Pasquale F. Maiorino, bring a vast amount of private sector experience and expertise to the project. Platz Associates provides architectural, engineering, and property management services for Bates Mill L.L.C. The redevelopment process reached an important milestone in 1997 with the unveiling of the Master Plan. While Bates was originally a single-use manufacturing facility, the Master Plan identifies redevelopment based on those multiple uses which are vital to a healthy downtown: retail, commercial, offices, education, entertainment, and eating establishments. New tenants are to be located in completely upgraded buildings. With its historic character and rich architectural details combined with modern HVAC, plumbing, wiring and telecommunications systems, the Bates Mill is ideally suited for these uses. Confirmation that the Bates Mill is an attractive location for modern businesses occurred in 1997 when Peoples Heritage Bank announced that it would locate an operations center in the complex. To accommodate this facility, the 48,000 square foot Storehouse No. 7 was completely renovated to meet the needs of the 300 bank employees who would be working at this facility. As part of the renovations, the heavy timber beams and columns were sandblasted and left exposed for a look that can only be obtained in a building as unique as those in the Bates Mill. This facility became operational in April 1998. Since taking over the Bates Mill Complex, it has been the intention of the City to return it to the private sector. Bates Mill L.L.C. recently reached an agreement with the City to buy three of the buildings. These buildings are Mill No. 3, Mill No. 6, and Storehouse No. 7. They total over 270,000 square feet, of which 155,000 square feet are vacant and available for redevelopment. Once Maine’s largest employer, the Bates Mill was virtually vacant when taken over by the City. Today it is home to more than 25 companies that collectively employ over 600 people, to be joined by an additional 300 employees when Peoples’ second operations center is completed in 2000. But with more than one million square feet of usable space, there is still much to be done. If you think the Bates Mill Complex would be a good location for your business or would more information, please write, e-mail, or fax us at the address below.
Copyright © 2002 |
