Spokane-based Innovia Foundation has partnered with the town of Oakesdale, Washington, to purchase the community’s historic J.C. Flour Mill—widely known as the “Old Mill”—with hopes to restore and reestablish the structure as an economic asset, says Shelly O’Quinn, Innovia Foundation CEO. 

“The historic landmark is an opportunity for the community to think of ways in which the Old Mill can become an economic driver,” O’Quinn says. “Some ideas include turning it into an event center with office space, or a brewery. … There’s lots of opportunities.” 

Aaron McMurray, chief strategy officer for Innovia, says the foundation has committed an initial payment of $120,000 to secure the purchase of the Old Mill on May 2. The seller, MaryJane Butters, is reportedly asking for $217,000. Innovia's current goal is to raise a total of $240,000 for the purchase, with any excess money going toward a permanent endowment fund, McMurray says. 

A feasibility study performed by the Pullman, Washington, office of Design West Architects PA to examine the Old Mill’s potential restoration determined that the structure is in good condition, O’Quinn says. The cost to restore the Old Mill is estimated at $6 million. 

O’Quinn says the foundation will seek funding from the Community Economic Revitalization Board, known as CERB, a division of the Washington state Department of Commerce that provides funding to local governments and federally recognized tribes for public infrastructure that supports private business growth and expansion.  

Jake Dingman, Oakesdale School District superintendent who has been involved in discussions about the mill's future, says other redevelopment ideas he’s heard for the Old Mill include turning the structure into a restaurant—which Oakesdale currently is lacking—or even a museum. 

“Every year, the town celebrates the Old Mill Days because the mill was the economic heartbeat of the town,” Dingman says. “It’s what (Oakesdale) is known for. … The possibility of that revitalization is exciting.” 

Oakesdale is located in northeast Whitman County, about 40 miles south of Spokane. The Old Mill stands in the center of the rural community and is a visual marker for the town. The mill was built in 1890, and McMurray says it's the only flour mill structure remaining of a dozen or so that operated in Whitman County.

In 2022, Butters, an organic farmer from Moscow, Idaho, put the Old Mill up for sale. Oakesdale native Larry Stanley, founder of Spokane-based Empire Bolt & Screw Inc., saw it as an opportunity to revive an economic asset for his hometown. 

Stanley's vision was met with donations from the Avista Foundation, the Innovia Foundation, the John J. Hemmingson Fund at Innovia, and the Oakesdale Community Fund at Innovia to purchase the Old Mill from Butters. 

The Innovia Foundation is working with the town of Oakesdale and the Port of Whitman County on a long-term ownership and restoration plan, O’Quinn says. On Monday, May 13, Innovia, representatives from the Port of Whitman, and over 100 Oakesdale community members met at the Oakesdale Fire Station to discuss the future of the town's landmark. 

“We’re looking for a long-term partner to own and operate it,” O’Quinn says. “It’s a conversation that is still in process.”