Gov. Janet Mills spent Thursday morning surveying flood damage from the Kennebec River in Skowhegan.
Mills was briefed by local officials after arriving at the Spinning Mill, a former yarn mill that is currently being renovated for commercial and housing space.
"This is one of three major enterprises in Skowhegan area alone we've been supporting — Sappi's expansion and New Balance expansion and this project here are vital to the community and I'm confident that it will still occur," Mills said. "Maybe slowed down a little bit, but we'll do everything we can to help move it forward."
Located on a small island on the Kennebec, the ground floor of the building flooded after Monday’s wind and rainstorm. The damage will cost the project an estimated $3 million, and will set construction back roughly three months.
Mills says widespread damage from the storm has been a multi-hazard disaster, but that residents and communities will recover.
"Maine people are strong, we're going to get through this, and this building is still sturdy, still standing, and this project is going to go forward," she said.
On the trip north, Mills said she saw numerous utility trucks out working to restore power, and she's hopeful outages will be resolved by the weekend.
