People interested in the fate of Biddeford's large 32-acre mill district are gathering at two meetings today.

These are the first of several public meetings about what will be included in a master plan for the downtown complex of red brick buildings. The city has hired a Boston-based consulting company to draw up the master plan.

The meetings will be held in City Hall at 205 Main Street from noon to 1:30 and another from 5p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The mills are mostly vacant, with one textile mill still operating there. Among the suggestions that have been raised in the past are redeveloping the space into a mix of commercial and residential space with such amenities as a pedestrian bridge over the river and riverside walkways.