Since the Civil War era, when this plant helped outfit the Grand Army of the Potomac, Bates Mill has been the industrial anchor of western Maine, serving as the state's largest single employer as recently as the early 1960's. The passing of the legendary New England textile industry left nearly 1.2 million square feet of space unoccupied and available for a wide variety of mixed use commercial, industrial, retail, recreational and service sector businesses.

Just as the creation of this massive facility transformed the agricultural villages of Lewiston and Lewiston Falls (Auburn) into turn-of-the -century urban industrial centers, so, too, is this unique property leading the way to the post-industrial age at the turn of the next century. Already home to manufacturing, wholesale distribution, educational, cultural, entertainment, high-tech, retail, and back-room operations centers, Bates Mill combines nineteenth century architecture and solid construction with access to twenty-first century technology, financing, and opportunity.

The Bates Mill comprises 1.2 million square feet in a complex of some dozen buildings covering nearly six acres dominating downtown Lewiston, Bates Mill retains access to the river and canals which provided its original source of power. The vast expanses of open spaces will accommodate virtually any format, need and configuration. Lewiston considers this property to be the single most important component of the city's redevelopment efforts and has identified sources of grant funding designated specifically for the build-out of this space and as incentives to businesses.

Anchored by the loan processing operations center of Peoples Heritage Corp. employing more than 300 people, Bates Mill is also home to the Creative Photographic Arts Center of Maine, the Business Information Center (BIC), co-sponsored by Key Bank, the SBA and SCORE and anchor of incubator space for business start-ups; and more than two dozen businesses of all types. New tenants include government services, educational enterprises, retail stores, food and support services (including daycare) to serve the growing on-site workforce.