2. 144 145
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
3. 147146
apothecary, a vintage vinyl record
store, a coffee shop, a yoga studio,
an indie movie theater, and a host
of other inspired ventures.
The old mill’s fourth floor calls
to mind a bustling little village cent-
er, replete with an old marquee—
something Lichoulas chose for its
iconic value. The overall character
of the place is owed, in part, to the
signage that denotes each business.
Lichoulas works collaboratively
with tenants to make their logos fit
in with what’s there. Bob Leonard,
of Maine’s Ould Colony Artisans,
has painted many historical signs
across New England, and does most
of the work for Lichoulas. “It’s a
blending process,” says the mill
owner of easing new businesses
into the community. The vibe can
also be attributed to the efforts
of Luna Theater director Amelia
Tucker, who is responsible for all of
the graphic design elements, while
Lichoulas focuses on the architec-
tural buildouts.
In essence, Mill No. 5 is a criss-
crossing network of people, ideas,
and goods—like a great beating
heart being fed from all directions.
And that heart has a function: to
combat the stigma that continues
to plague Lowell. “There has to be
a reason for people to come here,”
says Lichoulas. “I don’t think there
has always been a reason. Lowell
has been going through a revitali-
zation since the ’80s. It’s been the
same story repeated over and over
again.” He doesn’t see it turning
a corner with the help of a single
big-business endeavor. For him,
it is a grassroots movement. “It’s
about making what is here great.”
He is not interested in telling
people how special the city is—he
wants to show them. Recognizing
that it has come a long way over
the last 20 years, he sees so much
The mill is most
active Thursday
night through
Sunday. (The Farm
Market is there
on Saturdays
and Sundays.)
Coffee and Cotton
Luna Theater
Howl Magazine
The Farm Market
Vinyl Destination
Red Antler Apothecary
Serpentine Books
& Collectibles
Derek SooHoo Studios
Industry11
Artsylum Art Mongers
Sutra Studio
Corn & Company
more potential. “I’m not very pa-
tient,” he admits. “It doesn’t have
to be a long process.”
It is reasonable to think the ad-
dition of “more great things” would
speed up the so-far painstakingly
slow process of turning the city into
a desirable destination. “When you
come [to Lowell now],” says Lichou-
las, “the experience isn’t consistent-
ly exceptional. There are pockets of
it, but they don’t all work together
in a coherent way.” Therein lies
his guiding philosophy: partnering
with people who are doing interest-
ing things. “It’s about deciding to
make Lowell a great city. The desire
is there, but what does it mean?
People have different opinions
about that,” he notes. Personally,
Lichoulas wants to see things that
make for a vibrant city—a robust
cultural arts scene, fine dining op-
portunities, and niche experiences.
But he doesn’t want Mill No. 5 to
be an island unto itself—rather,
he wants it woven into the fabric
of the greater community. “It’s not
about making our piece of the pie
bigger. It’s about making the pie
bigger,” he says.
Even so, his portion of the pie
is getting bigger (and better) along
the way, despite his modesty.
The Farm Market, for example,
is a newer addition to the mill.
Originally intended to be a winter
market to supplement the down-
town market during the off-season,
it is now a year-round undertaking.
Modeled after a market Lichoulas
experienced in Ithaca, New York,
it’s meant to be a social gathering
place. Of the Ithaca market, he
recalls: “There was music, there
was food—there was more than
just vegetables.” The mill’s Farm
Market has its own flavor. Though
there is an umbrella mission that
aligns all the vendors, Lichoulas
works to get “the right people”
to come in and to put their own
“twist” on things. “Things are al-
ways percolating,” he muses.
Building on the very popular
Sunday market, he has plans to
open a small permanent market—
a kind of year-round farm stand
featuring milk, eggs, fresh fruits,
and local veggies—things that are
not readily available in the area.
People will shop at the store, and
then walk across the hall to Coffee
and Cotton to pay. It’s that cross-
collaboration idea: the café staff
serves as sales staff for the market.
(Look for Red and White Market to
open this spring.)
In addition to The Farm Market,
Top to bottom,
The iconic
marquee; Vinyl
Destination; Red
Antler Apothecary
The Tune Loft
Style This Shindig
Root Note Studio
Tory German
Photography
Made in Lowell
Kale Yeah
Evangeline Interiors
Craft and Caro
Iron Tree Furnishings
Pizzutio
Photography
Bon Vivant
4. 149148
a major Mill No. 5 component is
its theater—a nod to Lowell’s long
history as a city for film lovers. In
reference to the many now-closed
theaters and movie palaces, Lich-
oulas opened Luna Theater. “We
wanted a full experience here, and
film is a critical piece of it.” People
are coming, but the swell of interest
is still building. “We are learning as
we go,” he says. The independent
film buffs aren’t showing up as much
as he would like, so he has adjusted
the programming to include more
“throwbacks” and classics. When
indie films are up for an Oscar,
there’s a little surge of alternative
film lovers who come in. “If we can
increase our reach and get film buffs
here more consistently, we will show
more independent first-run films.”
He even visualizes partnering
with outside organizations so that
they can use the theater to promote
what they are doing—for example,
showing a film about the Whistler
Museum for a discounted price
will get people into the mill while
supporting the museum. “They
get something interesting for their
constituency, and we get added
viewership and exposure,” explains
Lichoulas. “We are looking for win-
wins.” And he looks in all kinds of
places. For instance, he has donated
a bit of land to Mill City Grows both
for educational opportunities and
for growing produce to be shared at
The Farm Market.
Like the theater and the market,
the live music scene is also gaining
momentum. Currently, on Wednes-
day and Thursday evenings and
after the Sunday market, there is
live jazz in the movie theater, and
during the market one of two bands
sets up on stage to play for the
browsing crowd.
Of the overall project Lichoulas
says: “Everything is doing well—last
year, we experienced 100 percent
growth. I want to do that again this
year.” He also wants to increase
community involvement. “This is
a platform for people to do things.
We encourage people to do what
they do well and build a commu-
nity around it.”
Cross-collaboration and spon-
sorship are two ways to bring
people in. Holding workshops is
another. “If every business does
that, then there are multiple things
happening here,” notes Lichou-
las. “To make a space desirable,
activity is important. That’s part of
how people decide if they like it or
not.” Another of his strategies is to
offer those activities when there
are other events happening in
the city. “People aren’t necessar-
ily going to come to Lowell just to
come here.” He believes they want
a diverse experience. “It’s about
CONTACT
Mill No. 5
250 Jackson St.
Lowell
978-656-1828
millno5.com
“A Little Bazaar Presents:
The Marketplace”
(every first Saturday)
Story time in the
Victorian Lounge
(every Sunday at 2 p.m.)
The Magical
Mystical Movie Club
(free children’s movie
Sundays at 12:05 p.m.)
Live music by either
the Brown Boot Boys
or Hashtag Hoedown
(Sundays 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.)
First-Sunday Workshops
teach people things
like how to make a good
bone broth or how to
grow edible mushrooms
(during markets, free)
#DogsofMillNo5
(dogs are welcome)
having multiple great things to do.”
For the artisans, Lichoulas
provides an alternative to rent-
ing a storefront. For many this is
a part-time gig. “This is a chance
for people to start their business
without debt. They start very small
and perfect their craft and their
message, and build it while having
face-to-face [time] with customers,”
he explains. The spaces vary in size
but all of them are pretty small,
which forces people to “edit” what
they offer—they must pare down to
their “best stuff.”
The mill’s limited hours are
intentional. They are targeting the
times people go out most often. It is
a way to keep the costs of owning a
small business down. It also helps
stimulate relationships between
the vendors. Thursday and Friday
nights plus Saturdays and Sun-
days—those are the required hours.
Beyond that, they are free to open
at other times of their choosing.
On the fifth floor (currently,
Mill No. 5 occupies only the fourth
floor), New Vestures is moving in.
The “co-working fashion makers-
space” will occupy 3,000 square
feet with sewing machines and
cutting tables. Lichoulas is “bring-
ing textiles back to the mill.”
Other ideas for how to use the
upper floor include expanding the
theater, creating a function space,
adding an antiques market, and
relocating the yoga studio to the
quieter of the two floors. No doubt
whatever ends up happening, it
will be inspired—Lichoulas is a
man brimming with novel ideas.
“This is not a finished project,”
he affirms.” (And neither is the
defunct mill-turned-boutique-hotel
the visionary thinks about building
next.)
Clockwise from
left, Kim Graham
manages The
Farm Market. The
coffee shop offers
“sidewalk” seating.
Serpentine Books
carries antiquarian
titles among other
vintage items.
FOR MORE
ABOUT MILL
NO. 5, GO TO
NSHOREMAG.COM/
MILL-NO5/
