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V O L . X X I V N O. I I JA N UA R Y 2 2 , 2 0 1 8 24 T he site that for 150 years housed paper mills on the east bank of the Kennebec River in Augusta seems like a developer's dream. e 17 acres has an eye-catching view of down- town and the State House downstream, and is close to Route 3 and access to Interstate 95 upstream. e mile-long swath has been cleaned up — it's a blank slate, ready for a developer to make an imprint. But it's also hemmed in by the river and railroad tracks and is bisected by a storm water collec- tion system, with only six or seven developable acres. Access is through a residential street at the south end and a private road at the north. e city acquired the land in 2009 when owner American Tissue defaulted on taxes. e city razed the buildings and cleaned the site with help from an EPA brownfi elds grant. A 2012 conceptual plan by the Eaton Peabody Consulting Group envisions restaurants, kayak and canoe landings, retail and housing. e site was named Kennebec Locke at Head of Tide. But two requests for proposals, one in 2011 and one last year, didn't generate any bites. "We knew marketing was going to be challenging," says Keith Luke, Augusta's deputy director of devel- opment services. "But we're not discouraged." Familiar scene e scene is one being played out across Maine and throughout New England as municipalities try to fi nd new uses for former mill sites. Sites like Kennebec Locke that don't have usable buildings have unique chal- lenges and often end up as open space. Across the river, where the Edwards mill once dominated the north end of Augusta's downtown, is a sprawling example. e mill closed in 1981 and burned down in 1989. e city tried to market the site, but developers weren't interested. It's now Mill Park, a grass expanse that includes a dog park, ice rink, pentanque (French Canadian bowling) courts, and the city's farmers market. e park's walking path crosses the old granite slab that once was the mill's foundation, and an overlook topping the remains of the Edwards Dam, which was removed in 1999, off ers gorgeous views up and down river, as well as Kennebec Locke on the opposite bank. e lack of a usable building on the Kennebec Locke site makes development a challenge, says Frank O'Hara, a planning consultant who has worked with municipalities on development strategies. O'Hara says successful mill redevel- opments like the Hathaway Creative Center in Waterville and Lewiston's Bates Mill used historic tax credits to support the project. " ey are a big boon for developers," he says. Without a building, a developer would have to put more capital into a project and require a faster, more lucrative return to make the invest- ment worthwhile, O'Hara says. Augusta deputy development direc- tor Luke agrees the lack of structures at Kennebec Locke is a disadvantage — "there was nothing worth salvaging," and so, he says, "there's nothing there to qualify for." Road not taken e Augusta City Council last year dis- cussed the need for an access road that would run the length of the site, but the city isn't in a position to pay the $1.5 mil- lion or more such a road would cost. Luke says the road, though, isn't a deal-breaker. "As an economic development pro- fessional, I'd like to see enhanced access to the site." But if the city can't aff ord it, he adds, "We can live with that." e site has really only been mar- ketable since 2015, when the cleanup was offi cially completed, he says. e city's fi rst RFP in 2011 was to test the waters. But a 2017 RFP for hous- ing on the site, issued after interest from developers, did not result in any bids. e 2012 consultant report suggests a mix of retail, offi ce and high-end housing, with possible passenger rail access. Luke says housing is a "small part" of the plan. Still, housing in the area is one piece that is moving forward, though the 29 units of workforce-aff ordable housing approved by the planning board on Jan. 2 isn't part of the overall development plan, Luke says. e development, at the end of Maple Street, the one public road into the site, is being built by the Augusta Housing Authority, which is not a city department. Luke says many of the people in city government now were not there when the project was fi rst discussed, but the goal hasn't changed. " e city has been mindful from the beginning to seek City Council consensus and build around a shared vision that's always been a multi-use development," Luke says. He says the site issues "don't preclude development." After all, he points out, "A paper mill operated there for 150 years." P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY A blank slate Augusta former mill site represents hope, challenges for capital city B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n F O C U S We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. We knew marketing was going to be challenging. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. But we're not discouraged. — Keith Luke Augusta's deputy director of development services Keith Luke, Augusta's deputy director of development services, on the west side of the Kennebec River, at the former Edwards Mill site. The Kennebec Locke redevelopment site is across the river. In the background is the Route 3 bridge.

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