LEWISTON – Councilors paved the way for a Bates Mill exit over the next few months, agreeing to let City Administrator Jim Bennett sign a contract with developers Bates Mill LLC.

Bennett said he expects to sign the contract with the business’ principal, Tom Platz, and his partners in the next week, after city attorneys have given the agreement one last look.

“Then, we’ll take a little time on both sides to work everything out,” Bennett said “I expect to close in about 90 days.”

Bennett said there have been few changes made to the deal since councilors last discussed it on Nov. 25.

“Mostly, it’s been word-smithing between our lawyers and their lawyers,” Bennett said. “They’ve finally gotten to the point where the words say what we told you they said, and both sides agree about what they say.”

The agreement gives Platz and his partners control of most of the remaining mill buildings. The city would keep building Nos. 5 and 9, according to the agreement.

Platz would not pay for the remaining buildings. The city would continue to pay annual support, pay for some environmental cleanup and exterior renovations and would need to provide parking for the project.

The move would cut the city’s investments at the mill nearly in half, from an estimated $59.2 million over the next seven years to $27.5 million. It does that by limiting the number of parking spaces and the extent of environmental cleanup the city has to provide. The deal also gets the city off the hook for interior renovations at the remaining mill buildings and some $750,000 annually in operations support.

The contract requires Platz to invest a minimum of $5.3 million over the next three years.

Nathan McCarron of 35 Fairlawn Ave. said he couldn’t support the deal until councilors had a plan for Mill No. 5.

“We still do not have information about what it will take to develop the largest piece of the of the complex, Mill No. 5,” McCarron said.

Chuck Soule of 170 Bartlett St. urged councilors to delay the strategy and let existing contracts expire.

“To not wait is like renaming the city of Lewiston to Platzville, Maine,” Soule said.

Ward 7 Councilor Norm Rousseau disagreed. He said he had given the contract close scrutiny.

“I’ve thought of every possible exit plan for this, even waiting for the other contracts to expire,” Rousseau said. “I think this is a fair deal for the city. It puts a cap on our exposure at the same time it creates new infrastructure there. I think this is best for the city.”

staylor@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link