Grow L+A held a public forum in September. The purpose was to discuss the findings of the Karp Resources Report, as well as solicit input from the community.
More than 100 people attended and an engaging evening ensued.
Here we have part 1 of a summary of the ideas and suggestions we heard from residents of Lewiston and Auburn about redeveloping Bates Mill No. 5.
Two framing questions were utilized, the first one focused on what people read in the Karp Report. Here are highlights from the forum.
Framing Question #1
Given what you heard this evening, and your own reading of the report, what are the most important points that Grow L+A and the community can come away with?
Key themes-
In relation to food and farming
- Supply and demand affect local food availability
- Food clearly needs to have a role in redeveloping Bates Mill No. 5
- Recognition of obstacles for farmers, hindering supplying more food
- How many farmers are there in a 25-mile radius of L-A
- Why do farmers do business the way they do (small vs. big)
In relation to Bates Mill No. 5/the physical building itself
- The space is big
- Multi-use development is a must
- Location is an asset/centrality
- What is the best use of building
- Incorporate into walkable plan for downtowns
- Leverage natural light of building
We welcome any other suggestions that you might have. Email them to us at info@growla.org.