Berlin – Piece by piece, the huge pulp mill that has been a part of the city's skyline for a century is being dismantled, and as the symbol of the past comes down, ideas for the future of the land are beginning to take shape.

Some envision bike trails, retail shops, a four-year college and restaurants, while others say they'd like to see the New Hampshire Community Technical College move to the center of the city and modern office facilities established to draw businesses and entrepreneurs.

On Tuesday, the city's planning department will host a forum to hear ideas for the 120-acre parcel on which the Burgess pulp mill had operated since the turn of the last century, until it closed last May.

But some people can't wait to share their visions. A Web site put up this week has already gathered more than a dozen comments.

"The response has been very impressive," said City Planner Pam Laflamme, who has received her share of ideas aside from the Web site. "People are thinking about it. It's very encouraging."

While the city does not own the property, officials have been asked by the company that does for ideas on what residents would like to see. The Michigan-based demolition firm North American Dismantling Corp., which cleared away the remains of the World Trade Center, purchased the pulp mill from Fraser Papers in October.

"They have been working on it," Laflamme said. "When I look out my office window, there is a noticeable difference."

It will take about a year for the mill to come down. The owners are seeking ideas that will help them decide what to do with the property once the demolition is complete.

"They've asked the community for input," Laflamme said. "We're trying to answer that question, and nobody has had a good answer. We knew that it would be coming down, but we really hadn't sat back to think about what it means."

The responses on the Web site -- berlinfuture.wordpress.com -- which was produced in collaboration with the Plymouth State University Center for Rural Partnerships, have been thoughtful.

"Over 100 years of pulp production in the middle of town has ended, and we need to leave it in our past and look to the future," wrote Greg Corrigan, who supports moving the technical college from its location north of town. "This is a watershed moment in Berlin's history, and truly an historic -- perhaps once in a lifetime -- opportunity for the community to set a new direction. The days are dwindling when a high school education is enough for individuals and businesses to compete in the technical global economy of the 21st century."

K.D. Paine of Durham, who expanded her marketing and public relations firm to Main Street in September, has become one of the city's biggest cheerleaders.

"Since starting our operation in Berlin in September, I've been consistently blown away by the talent I've found and the dedication of that talent to doing exceptional work," she wrote. "People like that shouldn't be working at an amusement park or a mall; they are knowledge workers and should have clear career paths in 21st-century companies like ours. We need a campaign to encourage more entrepreneurial service companies like mine to discover the clear financial benefits that Berlin offers. This is the 21st century. We have the high-speed Internet connections, there's tons of space and great talent. What more do we need except to tell the world about it?"

Other ideas put forth on the Web site include creating an entertainment complex to complement Jericho Mountain State Park, which opened last summer with limited ATV riding, a mall, expanded athletic fields, facilities to draw entrepreneurs and a gaming park.

"Berlin has to become a destination location for the enthusiasts that enjoy the mountains, lakes and streams," writes Scott Coulombe. "A sort of L.L. Beanville.

"It also has to be unique, not just another mountain town with a movie theater, mall and a few restaurants. The amenities need to be exciting and adventurous, such as in Dubai, where it is 110 degrees outside and you can go downhill skiing inside or an indoor wave beach."

The forum will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Berlin Junior High School.