BIDDEFORD — U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree and Assistant Secretary of Commerce John Fernandez toured Biddeford’s mill district on Monday morning and visited Portland’s waterfront that afternoon. Fernandez is the head of the U.S. Economic Development Administration, which provides financial support for economic development across the country through a variety of programs. Pingree said she hopes some of those federal dollars can make their way to Maine.

Pingree said she brought Fernandez to visit a select few communities in Maine, “to see the exciting opportunities in a state likes ours” and get the administration interested in investing here.

In Biddeford, about two dozen local, state and national officials trooped through the mill district, starting in developer Doug Sanford’s North Dam Mill; through his recently purchased mill complex, formerly owned by WestPoint Homes; into the Lincoln Mill; and by the Riverdam complex and The Mill at Saco Falls, a residential development undergoing renovations.

Sanford discussed the challenges he faces in trying to develop the approximately 750,000 square feet of space at WestPoint. While he said he’s excited about the potential of the buildings and his ability to provide well-maintained space that could bring jobs to the area, he noted that there are some hurdles to overcome.

Biddeford’s Economic Development Director Dan Stevenson said he plans to apply for some of the EDA’s Public Works grants that can help fund infrastructure improvements for traffic flow and at intersections.

During a July 29 City Council workshop about plans to develop WestPoint, Stevenson said without a number of infrastructure improvements, the city couldn’t handle significant growth in the mill district.

During the workshop, Stevenson spoke about the necessity of a public private partnership to help develop the mill district and bring in jobs. He spoke in favor of city support for a parking garage in the mill district, which Mayor Joanne Twomey has also endorsed.

Funding has already been earmarked for the project through the Route 111 Mill Redevelopment Tax Increment Finance District, which allows new property tax valuation from a development to be used for infrastructure improvement and other needs.

This sort of private-public partnership is necessary to develop a large area like the mill district, agreed Fernandez.

In his position at an Indianapolis-based law firm prior to working for the Obama administration, Fernandez advised private and governmental organizations on economic development.

Working with the local university on research as a way to generate jobs was another strategy the assistant secretary said could be critical. He has some experience to back that strategy up.

While serving as Bloomington, Indiana’s mayor from 1996-2003, Fernandez worked with leaders in business and Indiana University to secure approximately one-quarter billion dollars in private investment and create the city’s Life Sciences Partnership, which added 3,700 new jobs to the area.

Development of the mill district will be dependent on having a sound strategy, said Fernandez, and it will take time and demand patience. Public support will be essential and “a partnership with other mill owners is critical,” he said, as competition between the owners will hurt everyone.

Small scale manufacturing is already taking place in some of the buildings in the mill district, and Sanford said he hoped to find a large manufacturer as a tenant.

Fernandez concurred that would be good for the city.

“There are huge economic reasons for ”¦ maintaining a manufacturing base in a city center,” he said.

The three program areas that the EDA funds, said Fernandez, include investing in soft infrastructure, such as equipment; a public works program; and a global climate change program.

In addition to Stevenson’s plans to apply for Public Works grants, because of Sanford’s interested in creating affordable, green energy, Fernandez thought the global climate change program could also be a good fit.

The country is still in the grips of the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression, said Fernandez, but the Obama administration wants to not only see the economy recover, but to also grow and prepare the way, through education and other avenues, for the jobs of the future.

“It’s not just about recovery, but it’s also about accelerating the transition to a 21st century economy,” said Fernandez. “And it’s important for me to get out of Washington and see what’s happening on Main Street.”  

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.