Photo / Maureen Milliken
The former Bourque-Lanigan American Legion Post 5 at 21 College Ave. in Waterville is becoming The Elm event center.
July 17, 2019
Newly developed Waterville event space aims to fill a need
Photo / Maureen Milliken
Bill Mitchell, last year in The Elm, the former American Legion building in Waterville that he renovated into an event space.
By Maureen Milliken
WATERVILLE — The low brick building at 21 College Ave. was built as event space, and after long years of being underused, it'll soon be hosting concerts, parties and other gatherings for up to 500 people, owner Bill Mitchell said.
As he gave a tour of the former American Legion hall earlier this month, the finishing touches were still being put on the massive banquet hall and the smaller lounge area of what will be called The Elm, a nod to Waterville's nickname, the Elm City.
"We see it as the premier event center in the area," Mitchell said.
Mitchell, owner of GHM Insurance, is also a property developer, and owns 130,000 square feet of property in the city, much of it commercial, that includes 12 properties with 18 buildings and 44 commercial tenants. But he's never taken on a venture like this before — owning and operating an event center.
"It's been a really great experience," he said, "Learning and develeoping it, pulling together all the different pieces. It's been a major eduction."
He said he's had help from a team of experts to help with business development, marketing and branding and event planning, but he's going to start slowly, and the center will likely be run from his insurance office at 51 Main St. until it gets off the ground.
Once renovations are complete by the end of the summer, the 27,000-square-foot building will have a main hall that'll seat 350 for a sit-down event and 650 for stand-up concerts.
The large, wide stage and massive open main hall make the building a natural for such events.
The entryway, which will also be the bar area for concerts, can be separated by a curtain and will be a lounge area, with carpeting and a more cozy atmosphere.
He doesn't have plans yet for the basement, which has office space and room for potentially smaller events and meetings.
'Not a lot of choices'
Mitchell bought the former Bourque-Lanigan American Legion Post 5 in October 2017, and the original plan was for the Children's Discovery Museum of Maine to move in when it made its move from Augusta to Waterville, with the rest leased as office space. When the organization made different plans, Mitchell was approached by a number of people urging him to make it into an event center.
"There are not a lot of choices in central Maine," he said.
That type of space is critical for the city's development, Kim Lindlof, present of the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce, told Mainebiz in March.
“The Waterville region is in dire need of event space that will accommodate 500 or more guests,” she said. “Many annual events are stymied by limited space and parking.”
She said that the city’s development as an arts, dining and cultural destination means that annual meetings and conventions could be attracted to Waterville. “All other amenities are in place,” she said, the city just needs the space for larger groups."
Mitchell said he "feels the space will go a long way toward filling that need."
There are already two concerts scheduled for the center — Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfacton on Sept. 14, and Kiss tribute band Kiss Army on Nov. 14. It will also host the Mind, Body and Healing festival in early September and the Sukeforth Family Festival of Trees event in November.
"If this takes off and is supported by the community like I know it will be, eventually we'll have 20 to 25 musical events," he said.
The center will also be available for conferences, seminars, weddings and holiday parties, and other uses.
"It'll all be driven by the level of interest and how it compares to other options," he said.
The building has undergone a complete interior renovation, lightening up the 1950s-era decor and modernizing amenities.
Mitchell said he hopes to incorporate some kind of tribute to the veterans for whom the buiding was constructed in 1950 and who owned it until he bought it two years ago.
"This was the venue, the gathering place in the city for many years, for both members of the Legion and for others," he said, with emphasis on "the."
He said that it may look different once the renovations are completed, but the spirit of the building, as a community gathering place will be reborn. "It'll be that place again."
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