Auburn exploring commercial kitchen ‘incubator’ space
A former food stall next to Pettengill Park in Auburn could be converted into a commercial kitchen incubator space.
AUBURN — The city is in talks to convert a former food shack into a food production incubator space that caters to food truck owners and other small businesses.
Earlier this month, the City Council approved an amended budget for its Community Development Block Grant fund that includes $45,000 for the project.
If the city ultimately decides to renovate the kitchen next to Pettengill Park, according to a memo, the facility will be available for use by qualifying businesses and low- to middle-income entrepreneurs looking to “manufacture produce or enable pop-up restaurant opportunities.”
Glen Holmes, director of business and community development, said the basic idea is that prospective buyers pay a fee to use the kitchen facilities. As long as the city recoups the cost of running it, he said, the space could help establish small local businesses like food trucks or niche products that could be sold in local stores.
He said before working in Auburn, he toured a large commercial kitchen incubator in Chicago, where everyone lived from a grandmother who baked pumpkin pies to food trucks who used the space for daily prep.
“You could see that the reaction and the impact was significant,” he said.
The concept found success at Fork Food Lab in Portland, which according to its website has 40 members who “work side-by-side to start or grow their businesses.”
Mayor Jason Levesque said it would be the first such venture in the Lewiston-Auburn area, which has “a great need” for this type of space.
Holmes said the snack hut, which is located next to the ball field at Pettengill Park, has not been used for a number of years. But, he said, many of the appliances needed for a commercial kitchen already exist. Next is determining what work needs to be done and meeting federal guidelines for that type of use.
He said there is some interest, including the possibility of the facility hosting cooking classes and other events. Its location, just down the street from the Auburn Senior Community Center, is another plus, he said.
He said if the project ultimately doesn’t move forward, the Community Development Block Grand’s money can be reallocated to other uses.
In a memo to the council, Holmes said some small or emerging businesses simply can’t afford to rent space or are unsure if they still need it, especially as rental costs remain high.
“As more residents seek relief from pandemic-related income and/or food insecurity, the availability of a community-owned incubator space will allow for experimentation with new products and service businesses within the community that are currently struggling to enter the commercial – real estate market, or those solely wholesale produce but currently do not have the funds to open and license the necessary facilities,” said Holmes.
The memo also said the Department of Community Development will seek suggestions from local organizations to “facilitate the design and maintenance of the facilities for qualified contractors for a tiered fee” as well as “facilitate the required education and immersion training experience.”
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