Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Lewiston council and regional partners probe causes of empty retail space and call for coordinated roundtable
Summary
Councilors heard county and regional experts on vacant retail properties and agreed to pursue a coordinated roundtable and targeted data collection to identify barriers — from covenants and long-term leases to infrastructure, housing and market demand — that hinder reuse and recruitment.
Councillors and invited regional partners on Thursday examined why Lewiston and the surrounding valley have persistent vacant retail properties and explored steps to encourage reuse and recruit new businesses.
Councillor Spickelmeyer opened the discussion by saying he wants a practical, data-driven approach to understand why retail spaces remain empty and to identify the city’s role in resolving those barriers. He invited county and regional officials, developers and the chamber of commerce to brief the council.
Dan Anderson, a regional property analyst, told the council the county does not maintain a routine inventory of vacant commercial buildings for tax purposes and that most properties stay on tax rolls and are appraised based on their potential use, not current occupancy. "They are still on the tax rolls and they are still…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
