Abandoned three-story Elm Street building once a hub of activity
MECHANIC FALLS – JJ’s Restaurant used to open at 5 a.m., and would be packed. Known for huge portions and low prices, the downtown business served as the center of town in more ways than one.
“Everybody went there,” said Marlene Foster of Minot. “On Saturdays, people from miles around would go and meet their friends. You always knew somebody there.”
Foster said that was about 12 years ago. The restaurant’s reputation deteriorated along with the building and several changes in ownership, Foster said. It has sat dark and empty since 2001 and is about to become property of the town.
The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development acquired the 19 Elm St. property in January 2003 after a foreclosure, said field office director Loren Cole from the Bangor HUD office. After having it on the market for a total of 180 days, HUD offered the property to the town in January of this year.
The town bought the 11,000-square-foot lot and its three-story building for $1, and is waiting for the title, Cole said. HUD is preparing the paperwork to turn ownership over to the town through its Good Neighbor Program.
HUD did not have records of how much money was owed or who was the lender for the property. But Citiwest, a small company that manages and markets HUD properties in New England, last had it appraised at $138,000, Cole said.
The last owner, Gina Dowd, simply walked out of the building one day and never came back, said Town Manger Dana Lee. The town has no record of where Dowd is now.
“There were dishes still on the table, and food still in the coolers,” said Code Enforcement Officer John Hawley. “She just literally walked out one day.”
The first floor is set up for restaurant business with commercial appliances and furniture still in place, although the rotted food and debris have been cleaned out.
The second story is divided into four apartments with refrigerators and stoves in each unit. Graffiti and vandalism give evidence that the former residents did not go willingly.
“For a while, we had squatters living here,” said Hawley. “We finally had to get them out because of public safety issues. There was no heat and no electricity, and they just couldn’t stay through the winter.”
The top floor, which shows signs of a fire several years ago, is a cavernous space that once served as a dance floor for community fund-raisers. Lee recalled that the Fire Association once held Beano games on the top floor. He guessed that the building dates back to about 1900.
“The town is interested in controlling the fate of the property and would like to see a buyer bring some business back,” said Lee. “We’re willing to be creative and even offer some kind of financing.”
Currently, the building does not meet any of the town’s building codes and does not conform to zoning ordinances, said Hawley. However, town officials do not want to see the building razed and are willing to work with any buyer, Lee said.
In the past five years, HUD has only sold about 15 homes to municipalities for $1, Cole said. The Mechanic Falls property is the first to be for commercial and residential use, he said.
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