AUBURN – Motorists traveling over the bridge from Lewiston to New Auburn will get a fresh view soon: a new Dunkin’ Donuts.

The coffee and doughnut shop is planned for the corner of Riverside Drive and Broad Street, on a site now occupied by an old bank building and a former ice cream stand. The Auburn City Council voted Monday night to discontinue First Street to allow construction of the new shop to begin.

“This is the first major reinvestment in New Auburn in quite some time,” said Lee Feldman, director of Auburn planning and permitting. “I believe it’s close to a $1 million investment and it will be a gateway attraction to New Auburn from Lewiston.”

Minot businessman Francis Minigelle is building the new shop. He currently owns the Dunkin’ Donuts shops on Minot Avenue and Center Street, and is partner in the Lewiston facility that makes the franchises’ baked goods. This shop will be the fifth in the L-A area.

Robert Seavey, Minigelle’s general manager, said the site had all the amenities they were looking for: good traffic count, access from major commuter routes and proximity to their other shops. A small kiosk Dunkin’ Donuts operated by Minigelle in Florian’s Market around the corner on Main Street will eventually close once the full-size shop opens.

Feldman said his department worked closely with Minigelle to address traffic issues before the proposal ever went before the Planning Board. Specifically, they were concerned with traffic backing up on Riverside Drive as customers waited to pull into the drive-through. Plans show a double lane to enter the site and one lane to exit it.

“I don’t see any traffic issues,” said Feldman. The owners are waiting for a permit from the Department of Transportation before construction can begin.

Seavey said he wasn’t sure when the new shop would open, but he hoped it would be soon.

Feldman said plans for the site will significantly improve New Auburn’s gateway. Heavy landscaping and extensive green space will be done on the site to make it more attractive.

“We’re quite excited by what we came up with for a site design,” said Seavey, who worked with the city for eight months before settling on the design. “We think we’ll be very happy with the end result.”

The doughnut chain made $2.7 billion is sales in the United States last year. There are more than 3,900 Dunkin’ Donut shops in 38 states.

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