Finding New Life for Former Paper Mills
Analyzing emerging economic opportunities in Lee, Massachusetts
Project Summary
Community: Lee, Massachusetts
Technical Assistance: Economic Analysis
Former Use: Paper Mills
Future Use: Mixed Use Creative/Knowledge
Economy Hub
The Town of Lee, MA has approximately 700 acres of historic
industrial area consisting of four nearby former paper mills
located within 1.5 miles of one another. The Town has been
pursuing economic recovery opportunities since the last
paper mill closed in 2008,
In 2013, the U.S. EPA provided a Brownfields Area-Wide
Planning grant to the Town of Lee. The Town worked with
Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to develop an Area-
Wide Plan that identified existing environmental conditions,
community priorities, local infrastructure needs, and potential
future uses for the mill sites. The regional development
strategy encompassed two main themes: growth from within
and leveraging existing amenities to create a mixed use,
creative/knowledge economy that attracts compatible
businesses.
Inside the current Columbia Mill Building
Community's Land Revitalization Challenge
The Town needed to fully understand whether the current
local market conditions would support the site reuse
alternatives identified in the Area-Wide Plan. The Town is
pursuing a resilient economy that balances community
priorities, economic development, and adaptive site reuses
that support modern business models.
EPA's Land Revitalization Technical Assistance
In 2016, EPA's Land Revitalization Program provided
contractor technical assistance to develop the Northern Mills
Market Analysis. The market analysis included research on
local demographics, industry-specific commercial sales with
consumer expenditures, and industry-specific retail
opportunities. The contractor team aligned current market
data with the proposed site reuses and described how the
most viable uses at each mill site could take advantage of the
rich cultural environment, lifestyle recreational activities, and
anticipated growth in local entrepreneurial activity.
Potential Redevelopment Opportunities for Former Mills
Micro-brewer/, cafe, food production
Small-scale industrial production/distribution
Performance/exhibition space, museum, art/culture
Boutique hotel/restaurant
Mixed-use commercial office/retail/residential
Knowledge, technology, start-ups, co-work, medical
Kayak/canoe landing, bike path/river walk
Organized sports venue/fitness center
Technical training
Warehousing and distribution
This technical assistance helps the Town of Lee incorporate
emerging economic opportunities into their planning and
consider more specific designs for redeveloping the former
mills in conjunction with the community's goals.
For more information, contact Dorrie Paar, EPA Region 1
Brownfields Program, at paar.dorrie@epa.gov.
s>EPA
United States	Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Environmental Protection
Agency	560-F-19-005-A

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