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Sanford Millyard
| Sanford Mill The Sanford Mill, built in 1915, was used to manufacture fabrics, light bulbs, and plastic products. These uses resulted in a range of contaminants including semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), PCBs, lead-based paint, and asbestos. The City knew these issues would have to be addressed before the building could be re-purposed. Leveraging a Community-Wide Brownfields Assessment Grant, Sanford oversaw Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments. Following the assessments, Sanford acquired the Sanford Mill and the adjacent Aerofab Mill through eminent domain. From 2008 to 2013, Sanford conducted comprehensive assessment and cleanup activities at the Sanford Mill and Aerofab Mill sites, utilizing over $3 million in EPA Brownfields assessment, cleanup, and Revolving Loan Fund grants. After the cleanup was complete, Northland Enterprises undertook an extensive renovation of the building and its environs, and in October 2013, the Mill’s first tenants moved in. In September 2015, the City and Northland Enterprises were presented with the prestigious EPA Brownfields Phoenix Award. The EPA recognized the group’s notable accomplishment of cleaning a former Brownfields site and converting it into a community asset. International Woolen Mill International Woolen Mill was built in 1923 and is the largest property in Sanford’s Downtown Mill Yard. The property was purchased by the now-defunct Regco Inc. in 2007. The company has vacated the property and failed to address environmental and structural hazards. At the January 18th, 2022, City Council meeting, the City declared the boiler house on the property to be a Dangerous Building under state law. On July 14th, the City took Regco Inc., to court and was awarded a default judgment because there was no representative from Regco Inc. present to contest it. The City has a Court Order for Regco to pay for the demolition. But the organization is no longer operating and is without resources to address the environmental liabilities. In November 2022, Sanford voters approved a $1 Million Brownfields bond for environmental clean-up, capital projects for demolition and remediation, and the construction of 127 parking spaces. Now that the bond has been approved, the City can borrow up to $1 Million through the Maine Bond Bank. Prior to borrowing the funds, the City will draft a remediation plan to address the environmental contamination on site. In addition, the City would need to secure the property through adverse possession when the tax lien matures in Feb. 2023. In April 2023, Exhaust Stack was taken down because it posed a safety risk and was deteriorating structurally. The cost of the demolition will be charged to the property owner by the City. The Analysis of Brownfields Cleaning Alternatives (ABCA), a work plan that must be created before cleanup actions, is being written by TRC, the City's brownfields contractor. A draft ABCA will need to be completed for the City to apply for cleanup funding in the next round of Brownfields grant applications this fall. Mill 72 Formerly known as the Stone Mill, was built in 1919 and has over 278,000 sq. ft. of floor space. In 2022, the mill was purchased by Isaac Ellowitz, Justin Graves, and Brian Weyland. The City has partnered with the owners and allocated some EPA Brownfields funds, to help provide a Phase One Environmental Assessment of the mill. The Phase One Assessment found that the site history suggests possible contamination. The owners are currently looking into funding options for a Phase Two Assessment. Stenton Trust Formerly known as the Goodall Worsted Company Mill, was built in 1922. WinnDevelopment, a family-owned and experienced New England Mill Developer, has initiated the permitting phase with the Sanford Department of Planning & Development for the adaptive reuse of the Stenton Trust Mill. The team proposes to redevelop the building into approximately 96 mixed-income apartments. Click Here for more information. |
 "Sanford has a long history of turning significant challenges into opportunities. We anticipate continuing the success of mixed-use redevelopment similar to the Sanford Mill, which won national recognition with a Phoenix Award, and the creation of Gateway Park, now a community gathering place where once a gasoline service station/bowling alley obstructed access to the Mousam River." Director of Planning Beth Della Valle |
