NORWAY – There’s money out there to transform mill properties like the former dowel mill in downtown Norway.

It’s all a matter of getting the money flowing in the right direction, said U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud.

Michaud and his aides answered the invitation of the Growth Council of Oxford Hills to tour the former C.B. Cummings & Sons mill property on Saturday.

Helping economic development in the state has been a top priority for Michaud in his 23-year political career.

Officials hope that Michaud, a Democrat who sits on the federal transportation committee, will be able to find funding sources for creating a footbridge from the mill property to the Main Street commercial district.

Michaud agrees with the growth council’s effort to find new uses for existing buildings located in traditional service centers. “We ought to definitely be looking at the existing buildings and see how we can reuse them,” he said.

Michaud recalled that the town of Houlton was able to successfully make over a vacant shopping center for use as an educational facility. “I think we ought to utilize what we have,” he said.

Michaud was joined at the Saturday meeting by several state and local politicians and town officials. On hand was state Sen. Rick Bennett of Norway; state Rep. Sawin Millett, R-Waterford; Town Manager David Holt; Otisfield Selectman Jerry Robinson; Caldwell Jackson, president of Oxford Economic Development; and Deb Partridge, president of the Norway-Paris Chamber of Commerce.

The growth council’s Lori Allen said the hope is to entice developers to the mill, which closed in November 2002. The council purchased the mill for $100,000 from the Cummings family this past fall. Norway is applying for a $400,000 community development block grant to raze some of the buildings, create parking and create a system for storm-water management.

Allen said that of the 13 buildings on site, one that would be taken down would be the boiler room, to make way for the footbridge. “We’ll have to have transportation enhancement funds to build it,” she said.

Allen said one option would be to create a housing complex on the site, for “empty nesters” or seniors. Many options have been proposed for the big cinder block building close to Pennesseewassee Stream, including retail uses and art studios.

Holt said he has been impressed by the number and variety of creative ideas that have been generated for using the property. “The growth council has done well in getting the citizens involved. Of course, it will have to pay for itself,” he added.

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