Rockwell Mill Project

Rockwell MillH. Rockwell & Son has partnered with Rekindle the Spirit, Inc. and Endless Mountains Heritage Region to sponsor a feasibility study of the Rockwell Family’s former buckwheat mill. The Rockwell family’s history is intertwined with that of the mill, which they have owned since it was built in 1852. The vision for the mill is to preserve and restore it, make it available to the public, and to develop strategies to make the mill financially self-sustaining.

Copies of the Request for Proposals are available by contacting Mary Graham at H. Rockwell & Son, P. O. Box 197, Canton, PA 17724, by calling (570) 673-5148 or e-mailing mdgraham@frontiernet.net

A tour of the mill for interested consultants will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, August 15, 2008. Proposals must be received no later than noon on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 to be eligible for consideration.

Q & A

Several firms have expressed enthusiasm in the mill project, but do not have expertise in the "non-technical" components of the RFP, i.e.:

  • Advantages/disadvantages of H. Rockwell & Son becoming a 501(c)(3), forming a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or entering into a long-term lease with a nonprofit organization.
  • Potential uses of the building so it can become economically self-sustaining.
  • Identify potential partners for marketing, funding, economic development and/or business opportunities for the facility.
  • Potential future funding for implementation of the special study, restoration of the mill, and how to maintain the facility in the future.

QUESTION: Is there an agency or other entity that can address these issues or provide input other than our hiring an accounting and/or public relations firm?

ANSWER: Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission (NTRPDC) is the Local Development District serving the rural five-county area in the Northern Tier Region of Pennsylvania that includes Canton and the 1852 Rockwell mill. Their staff helps new businesses get started, assists established companies plan and implement successful expansions, facilitates transportation and other infrastructure enhancements in local communities and more.

KEVIN D. ABRAMS
Executive Director
abrams@northerntier.org

NTRPDC
312 Main Street
Towanda, Pennsylvania 18848
888.868.8800

http://northerntier.org

This is not meant to be an exclusive endorsement of Northern Tier Regional Planning & Development Commission (NTRPDC), but a sharing of information that this agency is familiar with the Canton area and is knowledgeable about the intricacies of nonprofit organizations, funding sources, and starting a new business. Kevin Abrams from NTRPDC plans to attend the mill tour on August 15.