What to do with Bates Mill No. 5 is a critical decision for the Lewiston City Council. The building’s size, history and location offer a unique opportunity and a daunting challenge. Our community debate should be grounded in our shared vision for our cities.

The Bates Mill No. 5 Task Force is a group of 15 citizens tasked by the former city council to identify options for using the building and the site. We will not make a formal recommendation – the decision rests with the city council. The task force’s goal is to foster a community debate about the building and site, and how it can help realize our communities’ goals.

The decision of how to use Mill No. 5 is difficult, because every option is expensive. There are generally three basic alternatives: continuing the current use, demolition, or rehabilitation. Each use will most likely result in losses of between $300,000 and $400,000 per year.

Currently, the city receives revenue from leasing the building for storage and allowing parking. Mill No. 5’s costs are mainly heating, maintenance, city taxes and fees and debt service on earlier capital improvements.

Four years ago, the mill’s operating loss was $485,267. Losses have trended steeply downward, leading to this fiscal year’s estimate of $250,000. Yet after the construction of a planned parking garage near the building, parking revenues will be lost and building’s operating losses would likely be $325,000 to $425,000 annually.

Demolition would likely cost about $3.25 million. Typically, such a capital cost is bonded. If a 20-year serial bond is secured for demolition, Lewiston would expect a first-year cost of $401,000, down to $241,000 by year 20.

Rehabilitation of the building is challenged by the 345,000-square-foot size and sprawling design. Viable re-use would demand most of the building, and result in more economic opportunity for our communities. A convention center is one use that would meet these requirements. Before debt service, a well-run convention center is estimated to have stable operating losses of $237,000 by its fifth year of operation.

Every option is expensive. We do not face a choice to spend money or “stop the bleeding.” The choice for the community is how we leverage this asset for the greatest benefit.

And both the building and site are significant assets.

Bates Mill No. 5 is in the heart of Lewiston’s and Auburn’s downtowns. It is the massive building with the sawtooth roof that reaches to the corner of Main Street and the main canal. Structurally, the building is sound, with significant and reparable deficiencies. Mill No. 5 is the core of “the Western Gateway,” the only building on a city-owned 8.1 acre site. The key infrastructures needed for any re-use project, such as roads and utilities, already exist.

Almost 10 years ago, the “L/A Excels” effort resulted in a community vision for Lewiston-Auburn. L/A Excels recognized the ability of this city-block to further surrounding development, and envisioned a convention center there. We recognize there are many possible uses for the site, but we heartily concur with L/A Excels this site is the centerpiece for future downtown economic development.

If cost does not immediately suggest one use over another, what then?

As a community, how do we leverage the building/site to greatest effect? What do we want our community to be? How should this site be best used to realize that?

These eight acres present myriad options. So the task force has developed a set of core principles to frame the conversation:

• First, re-use of the building or site should be an economic driver. Are jobs created? Will development catalyze futher development in the downtowns? Will more people to come to Lewiston-Auburn to work or spend money?

• Second, are both Lewiston and Auburn downtowns improved? Development in either impacts the other, and the communities should plan jointly. We would welcome a Lewiston/Auburn Joint Downtown Master Plan.

• Lastly, is the plan action-oriented? Lewiston has already owned Mill No. 5 for 10 years, at a significant cost.

We urge the community to join this debate. Come to the next public meeting – 6:30 p.m., Feb. 26, at Bates Mill No. 6 (home of Fishbone’s Restaurant) – or e-mail [email protected] with comments or questions. The task force has also posted background material at http://batesmill5.blogspot.com.

Please leave comments there, or come on Feb. 26. Feel free to delve into details.

It is time for a plan.

Rep. Mike Carey, of Lewiston, and Jonathan LaBonte, of New Auburn, are co-chairs of the Bates Mill No. 5 Task Force.