The rehabilitation of the mill is substantially complete at this point, as shown in the attached photos. We can't thank the construction team enough for their incredibly professional work and the care they took in seeing that this rehabilitation was done to the highest standards, allowing this building to live again, hopefully for the next 200 years. The hydropower installation will wait until the fall of 2014, as we are waiting for some turbine design refinements from the manufacturer, which should make it more efficient in its production of electricity to power the mill, with the excess going into the grid.
We are thrilled to have our third tenant signed up: Erin French's restaurant, The Lost Kitchen will occupy the main floor of the original mill and will utilize much of the new foundation under the western and southern additions. We will be doing fit-out for her over the next few months and then she will be ready to go in the late winter/early spring. With The Mill School occupying the western additions and the second floor and the Maine Federation of Farmers' Markets in an office in the northern addition, we are fully occupied.
We have on display in the basement items, large and small, that were discovered in deconstructing the old mill. These are displayed in a small "museum" area in the foundation. There are also before and after photos there, as well as a list of the individuals who worked on this project and some posters explaining the mill's history and operation, first as a gristmill and then as a woodturning mill.
We have been pleased to have had many visitors to both the mill and the grounds. Now that the building is fully occupied, it will be locked after hours, but we will continue to have the building open during the daytime for visits as long as someone is around. Once the fit-out work for The Lost Kitchen has been completed, we will establish a more formal visiting routine.
We are also pleased to have a completed film documenting the project which premiered at the Camden International Film Festival on September 29. David Conover of Compass Light Productions in Camden produced and directed the film. The film will be shown on MPBN, at a date and time that have not yet been set, as well as at various events and venues around the state. At some point we will have DVDs available. Many thanks also to Maine Farmland Trust, Maine Preservation and GrowSmart Maine.
Thanks,
Tony
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