Maine’s Hathaway Center anchor business expands lease

By Ramona du Houx

July 7, 2013
Reflections in the windows of a renovated mill, the Hathaway Creative Center, in Waterville, Maine. Photo By Ramona du Houx

The Hathaway Creative Center is back in the news as one of the sate’s the largest employers, MaineGeneral Health, is leasing 30,000 square feet more.

MaineGeneral Health said they are proud to help preserve Maine’s cultural heritage. “We are pleased to make another significant contribution to Waterville’s downtown revitalization,” said Chuck Hays, “and to be a part of the preservation of this historic landmark.”

The Hathaway Center in Waterville, photo by Ramona du Houx

As one of Hathaway’s key anchor businesses they are apparently satisfied with the Center, the community and the atmosphere the work environment offers. Expanding at the Center afforded them Pine Tree Development Zone tax incentives and was an opportunity to give more of their employees a great quality of life place to work.

“It helps your central business district, the heart of your community, because you have the population density that allows people to live, work and shop in your community,” said Darryl Sterling, the executive director of the Central Maine Growth Council who commented that the Hathaway site will bring Waterville more benefits than a building on the outskirts of the city.

Historic renovations are more appealing than a cheaply built modern building.

“No matter who’s in them, people are happy,” said Tom Niemann, lead developer of the Center, in the same article, “whether you live in them, work in them, or eat a meal in them. They’ve got exposed brick, wood floors, high ceilings, great sunlight, and then to know you’re a part of history.”

Special historic tax credits were established for Hathaway with the persistence advice and patience, of the developers. Those tax credits are helping historic renovations across the state since they were expanded. For the developers bringing a historic landmark back to life and helping to revitalize the area makes the project well worth the effort.

“From a business standpoint, you can’t replace these kinds of structures, the history,” said Niemann, “Think of how many people have been associated with the history of the Hathaway Creative Center. It’s the legacy of the community.”