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V O L . X X V N O. I I JA N UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 26 C O M M E R C I A L D E V E L O P M E N T F O C U S near the convergence of Interstate 95 and Route 1A. For many travel- ers, it's en route to Acadia National Park, Bangor, Downeast and midcoast regions and the Blue Hill, Deer Isle and Schoodic peninsulas. It's near assets like airports, higher education, health care systems and recreational opportunities. Its population growth of 21.7% from 2000 to 2015 is five times the state's growth rate, says City Manager David Cole. "People are voting with their feet," Cole says. Ellsworth is Maine's largest city geographically, at 94 square miles. Development tends to be in the city center. Development spans chain stores, small retailers, business expansions, historic-building renovations, remod- els and residential clusters. Along High Street, Alrig USA Development of Bingham Farms, Mich., recently completed development of a retail complex whose tenants include Aspen Dental, AutoZone and Mattress Firm. Across the street, in the Maine Coast Mall, Hannaford invested $3.9 million in a remodel. Maine Coast Mall recently completed development of a stand-alone pad site for a Dairy Queen. Downtown renovations of historic build- ings are accommodating new ground- floor retail and upper-story residential. Cara Romano and her husband, contractor David LaValle, last year bought an 1840s building at 6 State St., for $225,000. ey'll renovate it for a ground-floor gallery, Romano's (KoT) Contemporary Functional Craft, as well as upper-story residential. Teri Sargent Smith, a broker with Sargent Real Estate and a potter, bought 108 Main St. with a partner. Renovations will allowed for space for her pottery studio. "With the push to revitalize Main Street, it was essential that there was more residential rental spaces," says Smith. ere are new galleries, shops and eateries. Jon Stein and Ian Heyse renovated the bottom floor of a for- mer industrial building at 25 Pine St. to open Fogtown Brewing Co. Stein says they were attracted to the cultural scene and envision helping to grow the year-round economy. At the same time, the city's estab- lishment of Union River Center for Innovation, a technology startup incuba- tor, is expected to spark other STEM enterprises, says Cole, the city manager. e wave is driven in part by the recent arrival of Jackson Lab, whose Ellsworth campus, 20 miles from its Contact Nick Sabatine at the idea-stage: nsabatine@ransomenv.com 207-772-2891 D E V E L O P M E N T \ \ D U E D I L I G E N C E \ \ E N V I R O N M E N TA L H E A LT H & S A F E T Y \ \ M U N I C I PA L \ \ U T I L I T Y, E N E R G Y & M A N U FA C T U R I N G Site Planning Wastewater Engineering Storm Water Engineering Permitting Water Supply Engineering GIS Applications Turnkey Brownfield Services Remediation Funding Assistance Consulting Engineers and Scientists www.RansomEnv.com TW DICK SITE BEFORE AFTER Congratulations Gardiner & the Brownfields Redevelopment Team P H O T O / B E A C H C O M B I N G S E R I E S N O . 8 1 B Y J E N N I F E R S T E E N BO O H E R , W W W. J E N N I F E R BO O H E R . C O M 2019 Book of Lists S P O N S O R E D B Y Y E A R S $19.95 December 24, 2018 VO L . X X I V N O. X X I X www.mainebiz.biz SP ONSORED BY AVA I L A B L E N O W : The 2019 Mainebiz Book of Lists Who's number one? That's what the Maine business community looks for every year in the Book of Lists. Mainebiz researches companies, executives and transactions in many industries and ranks them by various factors. This comprehensive information on hundreds of companies it the ultimate tool for decision makers who are doing business in Maine. Each list can be downloaded in an Excel format, and a digital version of the entire Book of Lists includes online-only data as well as contact information for Maine companies. O R D E R Y O U R C O P Y O N L I N E N O W AT M A I N E B I Z . B I Z /B O L O R O R D E R A D I G I TA L L I S T T O DAY AT M A I N E B I Z . B I Z /L I S T S » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E

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