AUBURN – Chamber leader Chip Morrison lauded his membership for always being terrific cheerleaders for economic revitalization, but now it’s time for them to get off the sidelines and take the field.
“This is the most ambitious and exciting program that the chamber has ever undertaken,” said Morrison as he unveiled a $500,000 capital building campaign to Chamber of Commerce members gathered at the Hilton Garden Inn for their monthly breakfast meeting.
The money will be used to renovate the 100-year-old Pontiac Building in Lewiston’s Southern Gateway into a business service center. Plans call for the chamber to occupy the first floor, the Lewiston Development Corp. to occupy the second and third floors, and the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council to take the fourth floor.
“This will allow the continued revitalization of Lewiston’s downtown district and for increased visibility for businesses in our community,” said Morrison, and will make a broad range of business services available at a single location.
The building, which is owned by the city, was built by renowned local architect William Miller, who also designed the Auburn Public Library, St. Mary’s Hospital and the Lewiston Armory. The huge archway on the building’s brick facade was the inspiration for the design of many of the new buildings at the gateway, including Oxford Networks, Northeast Bank and Andover College.
The building is commonly referred to as the Pontiac Building because a car dealership occupied it for years. It was originally the home of Maine Supply Co. It has been vacant for the last 25 years and is “quite a mess inside,” said Morrison.
Once work is finished on the building, the chamber expects to move into 5,000 square feet of space that will offer several private offices, display space and a 1,000-square-foot community conference room. The chamber will own the space through a condominium arrangement, as will the LDC and the LAEGC.
“This is the first time they will have equity ownership in their own real estate,” said Greg Mitchell, assistant city administrator. “This has always been part of our game plan for the Southern Gateway.”
The new space is needed for the growing chamber. Morrison said that when the group moved into its offices at 179 Lisbon St. in 1988, there were 534 members and three employees. Now the chamber has 1,225 members and five employees.
Platz Associates is doing the design work; the price tag for the entire project is estimated at $2 million. Morrison said the chamber hopes to be in its new home by the first quarter of 2006.
But first it needs to pony up $500,000. The chamber will hold a “phone-athon” on June 7 and 8 to solicit donations. Members, organizations, municipalities and others are being asked for support.
The chamber is offering naming rights to the building for a $100,000 donation and to the community conference room for $75,000. For $250, a donor can have his or her name inscribed on a support column that will anchor the lobby of the building.
Money that had been budgeted by the cities for LAEGC rent payments will instead be allocated for the purchase of the fourth floor. The LDC is looking at developing the second and third floors of the Pontiac Building for lease and will use its own resources to develop and market them.
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