By Gillian Graham

Staff Writer

 Conceptual plans for the redevelopment of the historic Pepperell Mill Campus will be reviewed by Biddeford city officials as early as next month.

Developer Doug Sanford expects to bring plans to the Biddeford Planning Board that could range from green space around its old lagoon to a home for education programs.

Sanford also is working with the city to create a parking garage to address a shortage of parking spots in the mill district.

Sanford, who bought the Pepperell Mill Campus last year, said several people have expressed interest in moving into renovated spaces in the mill buildings, but he has not announced any major tenants.

“We’re optimistic about the future as far as the economy and filling space,” Sanford said.

Sanford hopes to revive the former mill to provide commercial space to the business community, provide historically inspired housing and green energy, and revitalize the downtown economy and culture.

A century ago, Pepperell Manufacturing Co. employed thousands of Biddeford and Saco residents, including many immigrants who came to the area looking for a work. The local economy thrived as more than 10,000 people worked in the brick mill complex and shopped on a bustling Main Street.

Biddeford was known around the world for its cotton products, but profitability declined as the textile industry moved south. In 1966, the first Vellux blanket was produced with great success and led to annual sales that topped 6 million blankets. WestPoint Home, operating in the historic Pepperell mills, ended production of the Vellux blanket in 2009 and listed the mill buildings for sale.

Sanford, who bought North Dam Mill in 2004 from Sunbeam Textile Co., has created a mix of residential, commercial and industrial spaces in that building. With the purchase of the Pepperell buildings last year, Sanford created a united campus of about 1.1 million square feet on 16 acres in the heart of downtown.

“We have what I feel are America’s greatest moments,” Sanford told the city council shortly after buying the buildings last summer. “What a tribute it is to Biddeford. We have the best bones in the country and I’m very humbled to be a steward of those bones.”

Sanford’s enthusiasm for the Pepperell Mill Campus has not waned since first touring the mill complex. He was impressed by the condition of the buildings and imagines a complex where education, residential, commercial and industrial uses function symbiotically.

Sanford said he would like education to serve as an anchor for the campus, whether it is a university, community college, center of technology or trade school. Education programs can feed employees to other businesses in the district, he said.

“We think it’s so important to attract the tenants we think will drive the entire mill district,” Sanford said.

Sanford said he is exploring the possibility of using part of the campus for nonprofit groups. He sees a need in the community for affordable space for nonprofit groups that also could benefit from being close to each other.

He also envisions green space created around the lagoon currently under building 10. The lagoon was once the main cistern for the entire mill complex, which used power generated by river water carried through underground tunnels.

Scott Joslin, director of planning and construction for the project, said receiving approval of conceptual plans will make it easier for future tenants to move into the buildings quickly

Though he is optimistic about the future of the campus, Sanford said one major issue that needs to be addressed to encourage downtown growth is parking.

Sanford said a shortage of parking spaces can be addressed by building a parking garage to be used by tenants and visitors in both the mill district and Main Street. The Pepperell Mill Campus currently has 500 parking spots.

“That’s the key to success, to create parking,” Joslin said.

Parking has long been a focal point of mill district redevelopment in the city. The city’s commitment toward redevelopment of the district is more than $1 million, according to Economic Development Director Daniel Stevenson.

Plans for the district have been supported by a 2006 parking and traffic study; a 2008 tax-increment financing amendment that earmarked $15 million for a central parking facility; preliminary soil stability test for a parking structure in 2009; and the October 2009 completion of the Biddeford Mill District Master Plan.

Stevenson said he has reviewed requests for proposals from other parking structure projects as he prepares to put out a request for a Biddeford parking structure. He said he expects to have the request for proposals ready in the next couple weeks and it would take several weeks to receive responses.

Stevenson said developing plans, approving and building a parking structure could take about 24 months. He anticipates a 500- to 900-space parking structure to be built at a cost of $10,000 to $20,000 per parking space.

The parking structure, if approved by the city council, would be funded using TIF funds from the district that includes Biddeford Crossing and the mill district. That TIF money is earmarked for parking and other downtown infrastructure needs, Stevenson said.

Stevenson said city officials will negotiate with Sanford if the parking structure is built on the surface lot that currently is part of the mill campus. A secondary location on Washington Street may also be considered, he said.

If a parking garage is built on Sanford’s property, the city would either negotiate a long-term lease – likely in the range of 99 years – or create an arrangement for the city to own the garage, Stevenson said.

 “We haven’t gotten to that point yet,” he said. “We want to look at what makes sense here.”

Stevenson said he and other city officials are working closely with Sanford because “structured parking is absolutely necessary to bring an influx of jobs to the mill district.”

 “(Sanford) is doing a fantastic job moving forward,” Stevenson said.

Sanford said he continues to discuss plans with other mill owners while he focuses on the planning process and creation of a parking garage. He plans to meet with mill owners on both sides of the river to discuss common interests, struggles and what they’d like to see for the future of the district.

Both Joslin and Sanford said they think Biddeford is poised to support the growing trend of people moving back into urban areas. The mill complex is close to major cities and has easy access to public transportation, including the train station across the river in Saco.

“The community needs to support what we’re doing,” Sanford said “I hope the public wants to see this redeveloped and active.”

Staff Writer Gillian Graham can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 213.