PORTLAND – The accomplishment is “extraordinary.”

That was James Whalen’s assessment of the redevelopment of Lewiston’s Bates Mill and why he designated developers Pat Maiorino and Jim and Tom Platz for his annual President’s Award.

“It’s really striking to me what an impact it’s had on the entire downtown,” said Whalen, who is president of the Maine Real Estate and Developers Association. “I think it’s changing people’s perception of the market in Lewiston-Auburn.”

The award was presented to Maiorino at the group’s annual forecasting conference Thursday in Portland. Both Platz brothers were unavailable for the presentation.

Whalen said he’d been watching redevelopment of the mill for the past seven or eight years and admires the developers’ vision, persistence and willingness to invest the time and money to revive nearly 1 million square feet of old mill space.

“I understand it will be another five or six years before they finish it,” said Whalen. “I’ve been watching with some fascination how diligently they are sticking to it.”

He added that the mill redevelopment was the first significant investment in the city’s downtown, touching off subsequent redevelopment that has brought a great “civic benefit” to the community.

“People used to say Lewiston-Auburn … uh, I don’t think so'” said Whalen of prospective developers. “Now they’re looking at it as a more affordable investment opportunity than Portland. I think the Bates Mill project can take a lot of credit for that.”

– Carol Coultas

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