The old Lee Paper Mill was built in 1903 with paper production beginning in 1905. It turned cotton rags into fine writing paper. At its peak, it produced over 17 tons of product from its 416,000 square feet and was the economic and cultural engine of the community. It closed in 2001. The National Park Service recognizes it on its National Register of Historic Places.
The Mill at Vicksburg campus consists of the 40 acres including and surrounding the central Mill building, plus 80 acres to the west in historic Vicksburg, Michigan, 12 miles south of Kalamazoo.
The visionary and sole investor is Chris Moore, a Seattle-based entrepreneur, whose family has lived in Vicksburg since the 1830s. Chris graduated from Vicksburg High School and eventually launched Concord Technologies, Old Stove Brewing in Seattle’s world-famous Pike Place Market, and The Mill Group in Vicksburg.
Several government entities have partnered with The Mill Group to restore the industrial brownfield site, including the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and Kalamazoo County.
The old mill building is being restored and re-purposed, while preserving the historic architectural character of the structure. Instead of making paper, its updated 416,000 square feet and grounds will become a mixed-use campus. The industrial brownfield and creek are being cleaned up and restored, and some surrounded wetlands will remain as part of The Mill’s landscape. The Mill Group is also restoring multiple historic buildings in downtown Vicksburg.
On a visit home to Vicksburg in early 2014, Chris Moore walked through The Mill, where he, his father and his grandfather had worked, and had a vision for re-purposing the old mill. A few months later, he approached Kalamazoo County to begin the process of purchasing the property. He formed The Mill Group and began assembling a team including architectural, land use, and environmental and legal consultants to formulate a plan. In 2016, he bought an adjacent 80-acre parcel to create space for the campus and began to acquire historic buildings in downtown Vicksburg for restoration.
Chris is thankful for the values that his hometown instilled in him and how they prepared him to make the most of the opportunities in life. He wants to convert some of the lessons he has learned in thirty years of successful entrepreneurship and the fruits of that success to help Vicksburg make the most of its opportunities and be as successful in the 21st century as it was in the 20th.
And so, he has committed his own capital to The Mill restoration in what he calls “sustainable philanthropy:” investments that restore and inspire communities while equipping entrepreneurs and artists.
Arts and cultural tourism is already a multi-billion-dollar industry in Michigan. With Chicago, South Bend, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Ann Arbor all within a couple-of-hours drive, there are millions of potential conference attendees and concert-goers.
As a historic events venue, with onsite amenities, craft brewing, beer gardens, outdoor recreation and golf within walking distance—adjacent to a restored Vicksburg village a few minutes away—The Mill at Vicksburg will become a regional destination. Once again, it will become an economic and cultural engine for its community.
Although not required, we are working alongside the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to determine the most environmentally friendly way to remediate portions of the creek. Our goal is to turn the east yard into a beautifully landscaped area with great views of a remediated creek.