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December 20, 2023

Skowhegan's Spinning Mill redevelopment takes a $3M hit from flooding

Courtesy / John Swett The Spinning Mill, on an island surrounded by floodwaters of the Kennebec River, can be seen at center, with downtown Skowhegan at left.
By Peter Van Allen

Skowhegan, on the Kennebec River, is among the Maine communities where floodwaters have taken an especially high toll over the past two days.

Dash Davidson, who is redeveloping the historic Spinning Mill on an island in the river, near downtown, described the flooding as "a real bummer." Davidson said there was 5 feet of water in the basement of the building.

It's believed to be the worst flooding in Skowhegan since 1987.

"We had hoped to get our certificate of occupancy for the basement and first floor by next week," Davidson told Mainebiz by phone. Instead, "we expect about a $3 million damage bill," between cleanup and repairs. He is insured. 

flooding
Courtesy / John Swett
At the restoration of the historic Spinning Mill in Skowhegan, floodwaters from the Kennebec River tossed shipping containers like toys.

A photo of the flood shows shipping containers knocked around.

"Those shipping containers are filled with hardwood flooring. They each weigh about 50,000 pounds," Davidson said. "Now, today, guys tried to get into them [to assess the damage] but the doors are frozen shut."

"There's a lot of beauty being on the river, but also a things like this," he said.

Spinning Mill remake

Davidson embarked on the project in 2022. 

The mill dates to the textile manufacturing days, when the power of the river powered the mechanical operations. In the heyday of the Maine Spinning Co., from the 1940s to the 1970s, the mill had 300 employees and produced 2 million pounds of yarn per year. 

The building had largely been vacant since 2005. 

With the redevelopment Davidson and Max Patinkin, partners in Bangor-based High Tide Capital, plan 45 apartments and a boutique hotel. 

Davidson originally estimated the cost of redevelopment to be $10 million to $15 million, though that estimate will likely change with the flood.

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