Real estate developers Daniel and Nickolaus Reavis received approval from the Paris, Maine, Planning Board last month to convert a former grain mill to self-storage. The pair entered a five-year lease on Oct. 1 on the building at 8 Skillings Ave., where they plan to turn the first floor into 9,000 square feet of storage space. While the interior work is expected to be complete by the end of the year, the exterior won’t be painted until next summer, according to the source.

The property is owned by the Paris Farmers Union, an East Coast retailer that sells animal feed, garden supplies and hardware. The agreement with the developers includes an option to buy the property for $150,000, which expires on Sept. 30, 2022. The conversion is estimated to cost about $12,500, to be paid by the Reavises, the source reported.

Prior to the Oct. 24 planning-board vote, four residents who were “emotionally involved” asked questions about the facility. “They were worried about the place catching on fire again like it did years ago,” said Rick Little, vice chairman for the planning board. They also expressed concerns about construction on the property prior to the board’s approval as well as the developers’ plans for the second floor.

Little noted the Reavises are now securing the building and fixing broken windows, and the second floor won’t be developed at this time. “It will be a typical storage unit where there’s two doors to get in, a hallway and a bunch of storage units,” he added.

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