The Cummings family has been unsuccessful in attracting anyone to buy the mill
By Gail Geraghty
Staff Writer

NORWAY – The future of downtown Norway’s historic dowel mill property will be discussed Thursday.

The 7 p.m. public meeting Oct. 30 at the Norway Town Hall is being sponsored by the Growth Council of Oxford Hills as a way to generate ideas for redevelopment of the mill property.

The 4.5-acre parcel, with over 82,000 square feet of manufacturing space in several buildings, had been in continuous operation by the Cummings family until foreign competition forced a shutdown a year ago.

The Cummings family has been unsuccessful so far in attracting anyone to buy the mill as it is. Because the property is in the heart of the downtown village, town and community leaders are talking about several redevelopment options.

They include:

• A place for downtown parking.

• A new YMCA fitness center.

• An affordable housing or assisted living complex.

• Incubator businesses.

• Office space.

• A cultural arts center and museum.

The Growth Council is applying for a $100,000 Rural Community Development grant to examine the options. The study will examine uses in relation to a master plan benefiting the entire Main Street commercial district.

A second part of the grant would specifically examine the feasibility of sitting a new YMCA recreation center on the site, which would require that the existing buildings be torn down.

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