FARMINGTON -- Empty stores in downtown Farmington are a rarity.

Spending is down nationwide as a result of a poor economy, high energy prices and stagnating salaries.

But Farmington is weathering the financial downturn much better than its Maine counterparts.

That's due in large measure to its downtown.

"Farmington is just an unbelievable little town," said Laurie Lachance, the former state economist and president of the Maine Development Foundation, a nonprofit, economic development organization based in Augusta.

Lachance, who travels the state talking about a vision for western Maine, said downtown Farmington benefits from people driving through to get to popular outdoor recreation areas up north.

They see historic buildings, a well-maintained and busy business district, people walking on the streets and a university campus in the heart of the community.

"It is welcoming, vibrant with young energy and it has a nice complement of amenities that makes a downtown thrive," she said.

"In other towns, the downtown is off the beaten path and people whiz through without even knowing that gem is there," she said.

About Farmington

Farmington is located in the western mountains in Franklin County and is the service center for the region.

Routes 4 and 27 pass through its picturesque, New England downtown, which is lined with well-maintained 19th-century homes, trees, small shops, professional offices and the University of Maine at Farmington campus.

U.S. Route 2 becomes Wilton Road, a busy commercial strip with larger retail stores, fast food, motels, auto dealers, businesses and shopping centers.

Farmington's downtown is a snapshot of the community. It is filled with university students who walk to work there, volunteer in social service agencies, eat at small cafes and shop the many stores.

There are an estimated 550 people employed in just the downtown working at about 120 businesses of all sizes, according to the Downtown Farmington Business and Professional Association.

What people say

Jeff Hodsdon of Wilton works for an area paper mill. He likes Farmington because it has a vitality that comes from its diversity.

"What other town this size has three bookstores?" he asked, indicating Twice Sold Tales on Main Street, Devaney, Doak and Garrett on Broadway and Mr. Paperback on Wilton Road.

"Farmington has been able to grow," he said. "The college has a lot to do with it but it is the attitude of the people as well."

Local employee Carol Short said she lives in a small town where there is no town center, no store and she has little connection to the community.

"There is a small town atmosphere here that I really like," she said. "You pass people on the street and they smile and say hello. And there is that great variety of shops that have something for people of all income levels."

Jim Logan, owner of Twice Sold Tales, said part of Farmington's success is that it is far enough away from the interstate highway and the urban and suburban sprawl to become a "real community."

Living side by side, he said, are young people, working families, retirees, farmers and remnants from the 1960s' back-to-the-land movement.

"Culturally, this town could have been a desert," he said. "Instead it is flourishing."

Revitalization projects

Downtown improvements in the past few years have included rebuilding Church Street to provide more parking, trees and sidewalks. The town is working with Mountain Counties Heritage to put together a walking tour of historic sites downtown, complete with information kiosks. A block away on High Street, the 19th-century Old North Church, a building on the National Historic Registry and owned by the Farmington Historical Society, is being restored and will become a museum and the Farmington Historical Center.

Also, UMF is planning to build a new performing arts center off Academy Street.

Where is the town going?

Farmington is distant enough from other markets that it's an attractive site for commercial development. The State Planning Office considers the town a "significant regional service center" because it not only serves its 7,500 residents, but also the regional community of over 35,000 in the 10 surrounding towns.

There also is a stable job market that stays at about 3,500, according to the state Labor Department. The unemployment rate is 5.9 percent. The major employers are the University of Maine at Farmington and Franklin Community Health Network.

Farmington Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser said he fields inquiries weekly from developers.

"Everyone is positioning themselves and when things are slow, it is a good time to do planning," he said. "We may be having a slow-down but it won't last forever."

Kaiser also said there is solid support of local government, which is lead by Town Manager Richard Davis and five selectmen. At the March 10 annual town meeting, residents spoke up about concerns over the flagging economy and discussed spending requests. By the end of the night, however, all the money articles passed.

"They want us to keep the level of services," Kaiser said. "People here feel they have adequate access to the process. Their confidence in state and national government is waning, but they see strength here, not just in local government, but in their community."

Michael Mansir is a loan officer at Franklin Savings Bank's main office in Farmington and president of the Downtown Business & Professional Association. "One of the reasons the downtown is so vibrant is the distance to the Waterville, Augusta and Auburn markets," he said. "We don't have to compete directly with the big malls."

The lack of available commercial space downtown is an indication people believe in Farmington's future.

"That is the history of downtown," he said. "Property here is a premium because people want to be here."

Mansir said the association is working on a map of the downtown -- an innovative, three-dimensional version for the Web and a fold-out paper map. Both are being created by a local design and marketing firm, Insyt New Media in Farmington. The map will include a directory listing the 120 businesses downtown and will be distributed at visitor centers across Maine.

What is working

Farmington's sense of cohesiveness is what Tanya Swain considers to be the community's strength.

Swain is the director of Western Mountain Alliance, a 20-year-old program based in Farmington that focuses on building strong communities in the western mountain counties.

Swain said the presence of UMF and Franklin Memorial Hospital -- solid institutions with national reputations -- adds to the community's stability.

"When I drive around western Maine, there are incredible people throughout this region who are here because they choose to be here," she said. "The leaders here bring a different energy and perspective. That mindset is important."

Alison Hagerstrom, the director of the Greater Franklin Development Corp., said she likes to quote what the people from NotifyMD told her when she asked if they were pleased with their decision to open a center in Farmington.

The company, based in Tennessee, has the nation's largest call center-based messaging service for healthcare provider organizations. Its Farmington office, one of six, opened last year downtown in the former MBNA building.

Hagerstrom was instrumental in convincing them to come here.

"They told me they never looked back," Hagerstrom said. "Within six months, Farmington has become their highest-performing center. That really speaks highly of our work force. It is about the people."

Bruce Hazard, director of Maine Counties Heritage, which promotes heritage tourism and has its office downtown, said the town's "fundamentals" remain strong. "There is beautiful countryside retaining much of its traditional farm and forest character; there is a great downtown full of historic architecture, diverse business enterprises and strong community institutions; an interest in education; and a vibrant cultural life," he said. "It is hard to imagine a rural community with a brighter future outlook," Hazard said.

Where next?

"The fabric of a community is really important and it can unravel if any of the pieces get weakened," said Kaiser, Farmington's code enforcement officer.

"We have a small, but diverse economy in this region and we need the health in all its components for the whole to be strong," he said.

A movement growing in Farmington, led by local farmers and farmland preservation advocates, is working to preserve open space. As transportation and food production costs rise due to higher energy costs, there is growing demand for locally produced food. "If farmland and woodland can't be kept intact, that resource will succumb to market pressures and be developed and permanently lost," Kaiser said.

According to the U.S. Census, agriculture in Franklin County contributes between $8 million and $10 million a year to the local economy. In 2002, the latest federal figures, there were 317 farms in Franklin County, with 64 percent in woodland and 30 percent in cropland. Those numbers are slowly increasing, according to Maine Farmland Trust. "A lot of areas go up and down with the economy,' " Kaiser said. "Farmington does not see a lot of that kind of movement. There is stability here. People here are resilient, hardworking and imaginative. That is what gives this area its strength.

"A lot of what you need to make a cohesive community can be found right here," he said.

Betty Jespersen 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com