Letters
Grand monuments won't last
Because they often dream beyond a city's means, comprehensive plans tend to gather two things: initial supporters and eventual dust. But, with luck, the plans can be blueprints. Lewiston has made great strides in the last decade. The Lincoln Street complex is both functional and gorgeous, thanks to a robust private-public partnership.
We may have to dream even better plans soon, because the editorial of Oct. 9 underlined a key point: Our old mills won't be around forever. Without these grand old monuments, Lewiston would be another shopworn city, seduced and abandoned by the American Dream.
We must save our heritage buildings. To survive and prosper, the mills will need private capital and public investment, as will the city. The key to attracting investment is education.
There's no sense in a company going somewhere without an educated, trainable work force. Such work forces don't grow on trees; they grows in schools. If we want our next generation to lead, we need to generate our homegrown young entrepreneurs. Our youth need something to aspire to.
Education provides that.
Maine's move to an upgraded community college system was a giant step. The Twin Cities need to take some baby steps, too — from development, to directed business attraction, to programming and coordinated projects — or we risk stepping backward.
Mill No. 5? Maybe Museum L-A should move there and create a stop on the map: The New England Museum of the Industrial Revolution. What better setting for such a venture?
Michael T. Corrigan, Lewiston
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Displaying comments, from newest to oldest
verified No do not stop clinging to
No do not stop clinging to it, it could be made into an educational museum to focus on the pride and proud Lewiston past of being a mill city. For the property tax think about restablishing it rather then knocking it down and using workers to reinforce and rebuild the inner structure of the mill. Remember councilor Reed's thoughts on mine over a Hilton or a five star to have a two star in there must be a friendship thing going there I think.
Joseph Ziehm
Lewiston, ME
"Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a master in heaven. Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;" Colossians 4: 1-2
Sentimental about the old
Sentimental about the old mills, yet you will complain about your property taxes. who do you think pays for these grand ideas?
Stop clinging to your
Stop clinging to your sentiments. It's not like we can snap our fingers and Mill #5 will be usable again. We just don't have the money to renovate the building as a municipality, and no one from the private sector has come forward, despite repeated requests, to redevelop it themselves.
You just can't compare the Lincoln Street projects to Mill #5, because the costs and structures involved are drastically different.
verified This council has done
This council has done nothing in two years, yet in the waning moments of their lame duck tenure they're going to do something to unalterably change the city? And with no plan or idea of what to do afterward. At a cost of millions, and no idea of where the funds will come from? It is a strange conceopt you cling to, Rinoblast, are you related to someone on the council?
This is not some kind of
This is not some kind of last-second decision, like you try to claim. The Bates Mill #5 committee was started over a year and a half ago and put a lot of time and effort into their independent analysis. They determined that it costs a lot of money to keep the Mill as is, and if we didn't do anything it is highly likely it would collapse upon itself in the next few years (as of right now you have to wear a hard-hat inside to protect against the crumbling concrete). To redevelop the mill would have cost millions more than to demolish it, not even considering the value of the land being sold as an empty lot for business development. In addition, can you remind me of how many private redevelopment plans were submitted to the city, after they asked numerous times? Oh that's right, there were none...
Yes, we do need to pay careful attention to our history, and try to preserve it. But that time has long since past, and we need to make our own, new history on this property.
verified Sorry Mr. Corrigan, but this
Sorry Mr. Corrigan, but this group of lame duck councilors have already made up their mind and nothing is going to change it. They will be voting to tear down Bates NO5 shortly and it will probably be down sometime this spring. Of course they have absolutely nothing planned to replace it, that's not their concern. They just wanted it down and had the votes. History will judge this Council as the most destructive ever in Lewiston's history. And the sad part is they will be smug with pride about it.
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