Consultants present economic development strategy to Lewiston council; plan targets housing, workforce and downtown investment

Lewiston — Consultants from Camoin Associates presented a strategic economic development plan to the Lewiston City Council at Tuesday’s meeting, urging the city to align housing, workforce and business‑support efforts to sustain growth and attract new investment.

The plan sets five goal areas—retaining and expanding existing businesses, strengthening entrepreneurship, investing in workforce, attracting targeted new industries, and building partnerships and city capacity—and ties each goal to an implementation matrix with near‑ and medium‑term actions.

Why it matters: Council members and staff said the city needs a clear, data‑driven roadmap to coordinate housing, workforce training and site marketing. The consultants argued Lewiston already has distinctive local assets—young, growing demographics, a walkable downtown and available mill real estate—but that the city must act on workforce pipeline building and improve how it inventories and markets sites to prospective employers.

What presenters said Alex Tranner, director of industry and workforce at Camoin Associates, summarized the firm’s quantitative and qualitative work, saying the plan combined local data analysis, site visits and interviews with roughly 20 businesses and community groups. Tranner told the council the city is at a “turning point” and must coordinate housing and workforce to make business attraction efforts effective.

Jim Damesis, senior vice president at Camoin Associates, emphasized public safety, workforce shortages and perceptions as limiting factors and urged a business‑retention and expansion (BRE) program that captures business needs digitally. “If there’s one thing the city can do for economic development, it’s public safety,” he said, and he recommended a formal business concierge service so inquiries are logged, acknowledged and routed rapidly.

Key recommendations - Build an implementation matrix and a short list of 0–6 month priorities for staff action, then broaden to 6–24 months and longer‑term investments. - Formalize a business retention and expansion program and a business concierge function to respond quickly to inquiries and site needs. - Strengthen workforce pipelines in partnership with the chamber and training providers, and promote wrap‑around supports (child care, transportation, housing) that enable hiring. - Maintain and publicize a digital inventory of available sites and properties and increase targeted marketing for sectors where Lewiston is competitive — manufacturing, transportation/warehousing and locally focused retail. - Consider joining or aligning with a Main Street‑type downtown program to coordinate downtown investments and promotion.

Council response and next steps Council members asked for an implementation briefing and a timeline. Director of Economic and Community Development Nate Libby said staff will digest the report, incorporate its implementation matrix into team meetings and schedule dedicated briefings for council workshops. The consultants said they will remain available to support staff and that the firm’s full report (an 80‑page strategy and implementation matrix) will be distributed to councilors.

Ending Councilors welcomed the plan’s practical focus on actions and asked staff to prioritize short‑term steps they can review at a future workshop.