SKOWHEGAN, Maine — With thousands of dollars in equipment gone and months of work lost from weather damage, High Tide Capital Project Manager Dash Davidson said the company wasn't sure if moving on with the Spinning Mill redevelopment was financially feasible.
"The entire ground floor was submerged in six feet of water for over 24 hours," Davidson said.
But, with $100,000 in relief aid granted by Gov. Janet Mills along with support from the community, he said the project is finally moving forward.
"It's really exciting, we're picking out tiles for the bathroom and we're doing the counters, and the cabinets are starting to come in," Davidson said.
According to developers, the finished project will include a 20-room boutique hotel, 41 apartment units, as well as a restaurant and designated meeting rooms.
"We want this building to feel like it belongs to the community, and we really want this to be a part of the community," Davidson said.
Skowhegan's Director of Community and Economic Development Jeff Hewet was one of the community members who have been supporting the redevelopment efforts and said the end results will be worth the wait.
"This will give people a nice place to stop and visit the shops here and visit the restaurants," Hewet said.
Owner of The Bankery and Skowhegan Fleuriste Matt DuBois said he's been watching the renovations over the last couple years and is excited for the potential customers it'll bring to his and other businesses.
"They're really pulling people in, they're adding more housing and there's going to be some short stay options as well," DuBois said.
But the best thing about the redevelopment, according to DuBois, is the fact that such an iconic part of his community is being brought back to life.
"Those new windows that they're putting in had a huge impact and seeing those lights on in the building at night is fantastic," Dubois said.
According to officials with High Tide Capital, the hotel is set to open by the end of December 2024 with the rest of the building being finished by spring of 2025.