The Mill receives Notable Project Award
PORTLAND — The Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) announced the recipients of its 2015 Notable Projects Awards at the spring conference May 17.
One of the six projects honored was The Mill in Dover-Foxcroft, with the Arnold Development Group accepting the award. Each project was selected for recognition based upon criteria including environmental sustainability, economic impact, energy efficiency, social impact and job creation.
“MEREDA is thrilled to recognize these exemplary projects, all of which not only embody MEREDA’s belief in responsible real estate but also involved a significant investment of resources and job creation statewide,” said MEREDA Board of Directors President Michael O’Reilly.
The Mill is located on the west side of the Piscataquis River in downtown Dover-Foxcroft. Built as a woolen mill that used hydropower, the mill complex comprises seven buildings and three structures that represent types, styles, and methods of construction used for mill buildings in Maine between 1840 and 1940. The mill was an economic engine for the Dover-Foxcroft community for 163 years. But operations ceased in 2007, and the American Woolen Company abandoned the mill.
The challenging economic climate, combined with the destitute state of the mill, posed significant obstacles to revitalization and adaptive use. The total renovation of the 110,000-square-foot complex by Arnold Development included extensive structural repairs across a variety of building types and materials — from roofing, sandblasting and historic window replacement to detailed interior finishes.
The Mill at Dover-Foxcroft represents the largest private investment in Piscataquis County in decades, and is an excellent example of a public private collaboration, with team members including Arnold Development, Todd Howard and Christian Arnold of Clockwork Architecture + Design, Sutherland Conservation & Consulting, Wright-Ryan, Coastal Enterprises, Inc., the town of Dover-Foxcroft, Piscataquis County Economic Development Council and Maine Community Foundation.
In response to community planning that captured a series of community needs, the $12.4 million project, which received state and federal historic and energy tax credits, resulted in a complete revitalization and conversion of the former mill complex into a mixed-use development, which includes a high-tech business center, 22 market-rate apartments, space for retail shops and offices, studio space for artisans, and an Internet cafe. It also includes a restaurant and a boutique hotel. The mill utilizes solar power and geothermal technology and includes plans to return the adjoining dam to hydroelectric generation.
The project utilized 11 separate funding sources including EPA Brownfields funds, USDA Rural Development funds, state and federal historic and energy tax credits, U.S. Economic Development Administration funds and bank financing,
The revitalized mill is an excellent example of the positive results of community impact investing. With working and living space, as well as a year-round farmer’s market, the mill in the heart of the town is again an integral part of Dover-Foxcroft’s community and economy.