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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 JA N UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 F O C U S C O M M E R C I A L D E V E L O P M E N T shuttles for employees from offsite. All of the new developments also have bicycle parking. e city, which is extending ames Street to help ease traffic, is also looking at adding smart traffic signals that adjust to traffic flow. "You can't eliminate every car, but there is a lot that can be done," Levine says. Right place, right time It's important for the growth of the city to have people with dispos- able incomes to live, work and spend money "at the coffee shop, at the bookstore," Levine says. He said it's better for the city, and Maine in general, for development to happen where it historically has, "instead of growing further and fur- ther out into the Maine woods." e eastern waterfront area was pocked with vacant lots and unde- rused land left over from the rail- road era. Recent zoning changes, too, helped spur development in the neighborhood. "It's hard to pinpoint any one thing," Brescia, of Cianbro, says. Migration to urban areas is happening all over the country, Brescia says. But with all the elements in place, he and Tompkins say the end of the recession was a spark. "We're still seeing the residuals of the pent-up demand from years of nothing happening," says Tompkins. Brescia adds, "e economy changed and it opened up the gates." Maureen Milliken, Mainebiz staff writer, can be reached at mmilliken @ mainebiz.biz CN Brown has a variety of rate plans that are suitable for the smallest businesses to the largest en es. Choose a plan based on your business's size and unique needs. Comprehensive hea ng fuel op ons for your business cnbrownenergy.com/commercial-fuel/commercial-business-rate-plans/ Backed by superior service and reliability! > Hea ng Oil > Kerosene > Propane > Natural Gas > Gasoline > Ultra-low Sulfur Diesel > Off-road Diesel > Electricity AC T I V E I N D I A S T R E E T A R E A P RO J E C T S R E N D E R I N G / C O U R T E S Y O F W E X 100 Fore St. Office/retail/parking COST: $31 million DEVELOPER: Jonathan Cohen BUILDER: Cianbro SIZE: Four stories, 275,000 square feet; keeping 9,000 square feet of original building USE: 539 parking spaces; 82,400 square feet of office/retail PARKING: 539 spaces STATUS: Approved by planning board Jan. 8 Thames and Hancock streets WEX Inc. headquarters COST: $15 million DEVELOPER: 0 Hancock, Jonathan Cohen BUILDER: Cianbro SIZE: 102,000 square feet, four stories on 48,000 square feet USE: Office/retail — 80,000 square feet leased by WEX; 10,000 square feet retail ground floor PARKING: offsite (Ocean Gateway/100 Fore St.) STATUS: WEX moves in Feb. 1 158 Fore St. AC Hotel by Marriott COST: $20 million DEVELOPER: Portland Norwich Group SIZE: 6 story, 120,00 square feet USE: 178 room hotel; 4,000 square feet retail; condominiums STATUS: Opened in July WEX Inc. headquarters 100 Fore St. R E N D E R I N G / C O U R T E S Y O F M A R R I O T T

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