Revitalization of Norway's Main Street held up
The nonprofit Norway Downtown wants to revitalize the Odd Fellows Building, but its efforts are stymied by the lack of communication from its owner, The Advertiser Democrat reported.
The building remains a concern for officials and residents who are trying to spur economic growth in the Downtown Norway Historic District, the Advertiser Democrat reported.
Town officials and others interested in revitalizing downtown Main Street told the paper their efforts are hampered by the lack of communication from the rarely-seen owner of the Odd Fellows Hall.
Many formerly thriving downtowns dimmed in the 1970s, an era known internationally for economic upheavals. The trend is reversing, buoyed by local, state and federal programs offering know-how and helping with private and public fundraising to restore or repurpose empty or neglected buildings. In places like Norway, many of those buildings are historic and are considered to be potential tourist attractions.
Developments in recent years include the opening of a new brewery and beer garden in the old Norway Trolley House, the Western Maine Health Care Corp.’s $10 million expansion and other rehabilitation projects, such as the second floor of the Norway Opera House, where the first floor now houses new businesses.
“The committee continues to be frustrated by the lack of communication with the owner, and because it is a key property and now creates a chasm between upper and lower Main Street,” Andrea Burns, chair of the Economic Growth and Support Committee and president of Norway Downtown.
Owner Sam Patel told the paper he hasn’t decided on a plan for the building.
Patel, a retailer in southern Maine who owns Sam’s Smoke & Novelties in Windham and a similar retail store at Five Corners on Route 26 in Poland, bought the shell of a building under the business name of Jasim LLC in December 2012 from TD Bank, the paper reported.
Norway’s Main Street is characterized by locally owned shops, restaurants, and other businesses and organizations housed in architecturally significant buildings from the early 1900s. The village of about 5,000 residents was designated a “Main Street Maine” community in 2002 in honor of its character and historic assets, and the potential to build a thriving downtown on those virtues. The Main Street Approach advocates a return to community self-reliance, local empowerment and the rebuilding of downtown districts based on traditional assets that include unique architecture, personal service, local ownership and a sense of community.
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