Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/646476
144 Jim Lichoulas is an ambitious guy—always looking ahead, forever imagining a new project, constantly perfecting the concept for Mill No. 5, his latest and most gratifying venture to date. The mill's once- empty fourth floor now teems with artisanal wares and fare. Two years after opening, it is breathing new life into Lowell's soul. And Lichoulas knows Lowell. He grew up "in awe of the indus- try and history of the mills." His first job, as a teenager, was to help restore an old waterwheel by sand- ing down its axle. Standing inside the wheel, hearing the Merrimack River—it left an impression, and tied him to the city in a visceral way. "I fell in love with the ma- chinery and the history," says Lich- oulas, whose family has owned the Appleton Mill complex since 1975. Over time, they have parceled and sold off pieces of it. Built in 1873, the 143-year-old Mill No. 5 is the last foothold. Lichoulas built the condominiums next door—all of which have sold. But in 2008 the market for condos dropped off, and he found himself in possession of two vacant mill floors. And so, with a degree in archi- tectural history in his hand and a passion for artisanal offerings in his heart, he put into motion a plan that contests the "soulless develop- ment" of the city's empty mills. Mill No. 5 is intended to be a place for start-ups and crea- tives—Lichoulas refers to it as a "campus," whose mission it is to fill the gaps left open by Lowell's limitations. By offering things unavailable downtown, Lichou- Jim Lichoulas in his attic full of architectural salvage; Right, Coffee and Cotton coffee shop las aims to make it a more livable city, and with Mill No. 5 he hopes to create a place so inviting and exciting that people won't want to leave. And, indeed, visitors do make a day of it. Ambling through the indoor "streetscape," one finds fresh produce, myriad boutiques, an