Maybe it could be the next Mall of America. A zoo. Or a planetarium the likes of which no one has seen.

What do you want to see in Bates Mill No. 5? If you think the old mill is ready to go, what do you want to see in its place?

With the defeat of Question 3 at the polls on Tuesday, the fate of the city-owned landmark and the prominent piece of real estate on which it sits is once again up in the air. The Sun Journal is taking the opportunity to ask readers for their ideas.

If you could wave a magic wand, what would Mill No. 5 or the land it occupies become?

The mill, designed by architect Albert Kahn, has stood for nearly 100 years. At its peak capacity, workers made 60,000 bedspreads a week behind its walls. In 1992, Lewiston acquired the mill for back taxes.

Over the years, windows have been broken and its two spacious floors — 145,000 square feet each — have seen hard times. It was spared from demolition last year, and the community supported the idea of turning it into a casino.

Now that voters statewide have turned that down, the building is back in the City Council’s lap.

That brings us to the amazing idea you’ve always had to turn it into an indoor dog park/concert venue/senior housing for textile workers. Or something else.

Be as grandiose or as practical as you’d like. We’ll collect ideas until Nov. 23 — 10 days from now — when we’ll sort through the pack, winnow them down to a dozen and ask readers to vote on the concept they like best. The Sun Journal will take the top three vote-getters to local economic development officials and ask, “Could that work?” and “Why or why not?”

Maybe it goes nowhere from there. We certainly don’t pretend to have the money or the answers. But the destiny of Mill No. 5 is such an important decision for both cities, we feel it’s worth asking: What do you think?

Send your ideas — 100 words or less, please — to staff writer Kathryn Skelton at [email protected] or to her c/o Sun Journal, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243. Please include your name and contact information.