Waterville board again to consider plans for Lockwood Hotel downtown

WATERVILLE — The Planning Board on Monday will deal with a full plate as it considers final plans for the Lockwood Hotel on Main Street downtown, redevelopment of two former mill buildings on Water Street, a proposed expansion of a financial firm on Silver Street and plans for a public seasonal boat dock on Messalonskee Stream.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Chace Community Forum at the Bill & Joan Alfond Main Street Commons at 150 Main St.

The board on June 17 postponed voting on a final plan for the $26 million, 47,692-square-foot hotel proposed by Elm City 9 LLC, an affiliate of Colby College, as some members had questions about parking and other matters.

The Lockwood Hotel is planned for 9 Main St. at the site of the former Levine’s store and Camden National Bank lots on Main Street downtown. Many years ago, the Crescent Hotel was on the site.

The four-story, 53-room hotel plan calls for 79 parking spaces, and the building would have a limestone facade, according to officials. It would include a restaurant and bar on the first floor and a patio for seasonal use on the north side of the building.

Colby officials announced recently they plan to break ground on the hotel next month and open it in the fall of next year.

The board also will consider an informal pre-application by North River Lockwood I LLC to redevelop the two former Lockwood mill buildings on Water Street as apartments and commercial space. North River owns the adjacent Hathaway Creative Center and recently bought, for $1.5 million, the two former mill buildings being considered for redevelopment.

Construction of The Lockwood Hotel is the next step in revitalizing the downtown, bringing Colby’s investment there to more than $75 million with a touch of green grass flanking both sides of the structure. Image provided by Baskervill

The mill building closest to downtown years ago housed a Marden’s Surplus & Salvage store; the building between that and Hathaway was used by Central Maine Power Co. then was used for storage, and at one time housed a coffee business.

Construction to redevelop the two buildings is expected to start in the fall of 2020.

In other matters, the board will consider plans for an expansion of Golden Pond Wealth Management at 129 Silver St., proposed by owner Brian Bernatchez. He is seeking a parking lot expansion as part of the request.

The city and Parks & Recreation Department will request shoreland zoning review and site plan modification review for a proposed public, seasonal boat dock and meandering path on Messalonskee Stream. The dock and path would be located next to the school superintendent’s office on Messalonskee Avenue.