Hathaway Creative Center: A good fit with MaineGeneral

Location, price, a great work environment for employees and an opportunity to be an important part of Waterville's downtown revitalization are among the key reasons MaineGeneral Health became the first and anchor tenant in the redevelopment of the former Hathaway shirt factory.

Last April, MaineGeneral Health signed a lease with the developer of the Hathaway Creative Center to occupy 40,000 square feet of space on the third floor of the historic building. MaineGeneral will use the space as offices for nearly 200 Human Resource and HealthReach Network employees. The space will also be used for counseling space for HealthReach's outpatient substance abuse and mental health services. MaineGeneral has an option to lease an additional 10,000 square feet.

"Whenever possible, we have taken the opportunity to enhance the area's economic vibrancy through partnerships with communities where we provide health care services," said Scott Bullock, president and chief executive officer of MaineGeneral Health. MaineGeneral is the largest private employer in Kennebec Valley with 3,800 employees. In 2006, MaineGeneral became the anchor tenant of the former Carleton Woolen Mill, now called the Winthrop Commerce Center, in downtown Winthrop.

The hunt for new space options for HealthReach Network's staff currently at Highwood and Main Street locations began when the owner of the Main Street building announced plans to sell. The Highwood Street building needs major renovations which would not be cost effective, explained Nona Boyink, HealthReach Network president and chief executive officer.

MaineGeneral's Human Resources staff faced a different dilemma. "With staff scattered at various buildings on our Waterville campuses, it's difficult to be efficient," said Becky Lamey, senior vice president for Human Resources. Bringing recruitment, employee benefits and organizational development together will significantly improve staff efficiency and make it easier for new employees. "New and prospective employees will be able to apply for jobs, be interviewed, have some of their pre-employment testing done and be issued their ID badges all from a central location," Lamey said.

Before signing on as anchor tenant in the redevelopment project, MaineGeneral administrators explored a number of options from build to lease and building from scratch. None were as financially feasible as the Hathaway Creative Center. "We were able to get a large amount of space to consolidate our services at a very reasonable price," Boyink said.

The space also met MaineGeneral's other key requirements. "We wanted to ensure a good work environment for our employees in the midst of the community, not in a remote location," Boyink said. As many of our clients walk or use KVCAP transportation to their counseling appointments, being in the middle of downtown is very important, she explained.

After visiting other Maine factories that have been renovated, Boyink and Lamey were very impressed with the beautiful workspace created with soaring windows and hardwood floors. "The very large windows at Hathaway provide a lot of natural light and spectacular views," Boyink notes. And because it was used for "clean" manufacturing, the developer plans to maintain a lot of the original interior walls, floors and ceilings, she adds.

The location also provides a nice life balance for employees who can get lunch at local shops and restaurants, run errands, take a walk along the river, in season visit the Waterville Farmers' Market which MaineGeneral sponsors and take advantage of other downtown amenities during their lunch break, Lamey said.

But more than the beautiful space planned, Boyink and Lamey agree it's very exciting to be a part of helping breathe new life into downtown Waterville and to play a part in preserving a wonderful old building.

"We clearly needed better space. Leasing space at the Hathaway Creative Center is good for Waterville and good for us," Boyink added.