They were surprised by the lineup of handsome commercial buildings, Ackerman says, and impressed by the multistoried red brick mill buildings along the Saco River. Dating to the mid-19th century and more than a mile long, they make up one of the largest such mill complexes in New England. Largely empty or underused today, the mills employed more than 12,000 people, most of them French-Canadians, in the early 20th century.
She and Persson are architecture buffs, Ackerman says, and they immediately saw Biddeford's potential. "There were empty storefronts on Main Street but it still seemed like a place that was about to take off yet was affordable," she says. "That was appealing." Another attraction was the many creative people living and working in the city, usually in inexpensive loft and studio space in former mills or other older buildings.
A few months after that first visit Ackerman, a graphic designer, and Persson, a database programmer, settled in Biddeford. They bought the old textile workers union hall and have converted it into an art gallery, Franklin Street Art Space, which opened last month. "It's a contemporary art gallery," says Ackerman, "but also a place for performance art and art lessons."
Just around the corner on Alfred Street is WiggleWeigle's Books and In-A-Bind Art Gallery, which opened in April in another restored building, the 137-year-old former Odd Fellows lodge. Operated by Steve and Anastasia Weigle, the shop specializes in discounted overstock books. It also has a small cafe.
Another combination art gallery and cafe in a remodeled building is Union Cafe in the North Dam Mill complex. Other tenants include dance and martial arts studios, several woodworkers and furniture makers, and a niche enterprise called Vervacious that imports truffles from Europe for sale to restaurants.
A developer has announced plans to convert the three-building riverside complex into an integrated community that includes residential units, retail and office space, artists lofts and workshops, and restaurants.
