The shutdown of a trash incinerator that dominated downtown Biddeford for decades already has been credited with helping fuel an economic resurgence, with new businesses along Main Street and in the city’s historic mill district.

Now, three years after the city bought the property and tore the incinerator down, Biddeford is hoping to take the next step and redevelop the riverfront land into a campus that could include shops, restaurants and housing.

“The buyout of the Maine Energy site was a transformative event for the downtown,” said Daniel Stevenson, the city’s economic and community development director. “This is one of the most notable pieces of property in the city. We want to make sure it is developed strategically and properly.”

A conceptual design being released by the city Thursday envisions multiple buildings and a parking garage on the property, creating a campus-like feel with views of the river, retail and commercial spaces, and housing units. The city will market the property to private developers interested in creating spaces that complement the surrounding area, according to city officials.

The purchase of the property in 2012 marked a turning point for Biddeford, and city leaders said it would help stimulate economic development in the downtown and mill districts. Since the city finalized the $6.7 million sale, Biddeford has approved a combined $65 million in investment by two developers who have said they would not have come to Biddeford if MERC was still operating. The projects, both adjacent to 3 Lincoln St., are a $50 million hotel in the former Lincoln Mill and The Lofts at Saco Falls, a $15 million housing project.

PHASING IN BUILDINGS

The city last year commissioned Camoin Associates of Saratoga Springs, New York, to do an economic impact analysis and financial feasibility study of potential uses of the 8.5-acre site.

The development scenario recommended by Camoin, city staff and a steering committee calls for a mixed-use, phased approach that would include businesses compatible with the area.

The city has not made public a copy of the report or details about the potential economic impact of developing the property, but officials are preparing to give residents a glimpse at what the area could look like when it is developed.

The city will host a public information session at 6 p.m. Thursday in council chambers to describe recommended uses and display renderings of how the property might appear when it is developed. Residents will be asked to provide feedback via text message, the first time the city has collected information that way.

Christine Ohman, Biddeford’s grant writer and special projects coordinator, said the public session is a opportunity for residents to see how the site could be developed and offer their thoughts on what they would like to see there.

“We’re really creating a neighborhood in the city, which is the mill district,” she said. “What used to be a manufacturing base is now used for mixed use.”

DEVELOPING THE URBAN CORE

The development scenario recommended in the report includes the potential for seven buildings on the site, along with open spaces that provide views of the river. A parking garage would accommodate an estimated demand of 784 parking spots for the property, plus 102 extra spaces.

The buildings in the scenario outlined by Camoin would be five stories tall, with retail spaces such as coffee shops and stores on the first floor. The next two levels could house other businesses, including those from the bio-tech or healthcare sectors that need to be in new construction instead of converted mill space. There would be housing units on the top two floors.

“What’s exciting about this project is we’re basing it on what we want this area to look like for the next generation,” Ohman said. “We’re developing the urban core of the city.”

The former MERC site sits between Lincoln Street and the Saco River in the city’s mill district, a 41.5-acre section of the downtown dominated by sprawling brick buildings.

The mill district includes nearly 1.7 million square feet of building space, of which 800,000 square feet is empty. The Lincoln Mill hotel and The Lofts at Saco Falls will reduce the vacancy by 20 percent to 500,000 square feet when they are done.

The nearby Pepperell Mill Campus, which has led the way with mill redevelopment in the city, is now used for retail, commercial, office, light industrial and residential uses. Developer Doug Sanford has invested $5.6 million on the campus since 2012, creating 125 new jobs and renovating 150,000 square feet of vacant space.

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