The Picker House Lofts, a transformed cotton mill in Lewiston overlooking the
Androscoggin River, will welcome tenants in January. The 72-unit building offers 46
workforce apartments, starting at $700 for one-bedroom, and 26 market-rate units, starting
at $1,295. Amenities include heat, hot water, internet, parking, a gym, a rooftop deck, and
secure package delivery. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Originally published at Sun Journal December 19, by Christopher Wheelock.
Starting the first week in January, the new apartments — a mixture of workplace and market-rate units — will start welcoming new tenants.
LEWISTON — Standing in a corner apartment overlooking the Androscoggin River, the
flicker of holiday lights in New Auburn catches your attention. The steady stream of cars
crossing the Bernard Lown Peace Bridge at rush hour is silent — because the massive new
windows in the former cotton mill are virtually soundproof.
The front entrance to Picker House Lofts is an impressive and welcome sight. Just 17
months ago, it was a dilapidated 79,000-square-foot brick building in the center of the
Continental Mill.
Starting the first week in January, the new apartments — a mixture of workplace and marketrate units — will start welcoming new tenants. Floors in the entranceway and in some
apartments are original and refinished. New wood floors line the halls and apartments
elsewhere.
Developer The Szanton Company has delivered an impressive start to the eventual
redevelopment of the entire Continental Mill by Chinbrook Properties in the next two years — 377 additional market-rate apartments delivered in two phases.
Nathan Szanton, president of The Szanton Company, stands Wednesday on the rooftop
deck of the Picker House Lofts, a 72-unit redevelopment of a former cotton mill in
Lewiston. Szanton praised Hebert Construction for early completion, marking the start of
revitalizing the entire 550,000-square-foot Continental Mill. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
“I think that having 550,000 square feet of space rehabilitated right here on the river in
downtown has got to have a huge impact on downtown,” Szanton’s President Nathan
Szanton said late Tuesday, referring to the total square footage of one of Maine’s largest
textile mills.
There are 72 apartments, 46 are workforce or affordable housing, and the remaining 26 units
are market rate. Workforce apartments range from $700-$854 for a one bedroom and
$834-$1,020 for a two bedroom unit. The building is a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
Market-rate units start at $1,295 for a one bedroom. Heat and hot water and internet are all
included with all the units. Each apartment comes with one off-street parking space and
there is a secure indoor bicycle storage area.
When possible, the original historic floors and walls were left visible in the Picker House
Lofts building. Part of a larger redevelopment of the Continental Mill by Chinburg
Properties, the project is expected to create 377 more apartments in two phases. Andree
Kehn/Sun Journal
Other amenities include a gym, a rooftop deck with views of the river, a community room with games, a kitchenette and sitting area. There is a laundry facility exclusively for tenant use in the five-story building, which has elevators as well. There are indoor secure lockers for
package delivery and mailboxes and an on-site property manager and an on-site resident
service coordinator.
“You need people to create vitality,” Szanton said as he proudly showed off the different
units. “You can’t have a vital city if you don’t have people living in it.”
“It’s exciting to see this housing development near completion in what was likely the largest
empty building in Maine,” Mayor Carl Sheline told the Sun Journal on Wednesday. “The
Szanton Company has been a great partner to work with and I appreciate their investment in
Lewiston.”
Nathan Szanton, president of The Szanton Company, right, gives a tour Wednesday to
Linc Jeffers, Lewiston’s outgoing director of economic and community development, of one
of the newly completed units in the Picker House Lofts in Lewiston. The development
features 72 apartments with original mill flooring, modern kitchens, and 13.5-foot ceilings.
Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Szanton credits Hebert Construction with what he called fantastic coordination of the
subcontractors that allowed them to wrap the project up not just on time but early —
something that doesn’t happen very often with housing projects in Maine.
Most of the apartments have 13.5-foot ceilings and all are unique. The bedrooms are on the
small side, but the apartments overall are roomy with plenty of natural light.
There is even talk of a brewpub among the possible amenities for the overall complex in the
next few years.
Saco Falls Management is handling the leasing of all the units. Applications are still being
accepted and apartment-seekers can set up a showing through the company or call 207-
228-8800.