Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I I N O. I I JA N UA R Y 2 4 , 2 0 2 2 18 S O U T H E R N M A I N E T hey were selling oysters and found an Ocean Street pearl. Lucas Myers, Matt Brown and Joshua Edgcomb founded SoPo Seafood in Biddeford in March 2020 doing delivery and wholesale, then branched out into retail but only after finding the ideal location in South Portland. "is perfect stamp right here was South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough, all being funneled to go over this bridge in Portland, making this the perfect spot for retail seafood," Myers says. Seated inside the bright space one afternoon as customers indulge in Maine oysters and craft beer, he says, "is is the place." From walkable waterfront neigh- borhoods like Ocean Street and Cottage Road to the Maine Mall area's suburban sprawl, South Portland is seeing a surge in retail- led commercial development that gathered pace during the pandemic. Momentum is expected to stay strong as buyers pounce on spaces as soon as they become available. New businesses — and employers — include grow- ing startups like SoPo Seafood and Soul Food Paradise, which in October graduated from Portland's Fork Food Lab to a space at the Maine Mall Food Court. Owners are also spend- ing money on façade revamps in places including Shaw's Millcreek Plaza, a grocery store-anchored strip center across the street from the Mill Creek Shopping Center. Tight inventory But malls and shopping centers aren't for everyone, and a Jan. 4 inven- tory by the Portland-based Dunham Group lists only 30 available South Portland commercial properties in Maine's fourth-largest city, including a space at Shaw's Millcreek Plaza and at 740 Broadway near Willows Pizza & Restaurant. "Other than that," notes associate broker Sam LeGeyt, "things are full." Other evidence of a tight market comes from William Mann, South Portland's economic development director, who characterizes the area east of the Casco Bay Bridge and the Maine Mall area as two unique downtowns with significant population bases. Mann says that both commercial and residential development in 2021 were up from 2020, supported by early indications of higher revenues for permit and related fees. As for available spaces for busi- nesses, "we're seeing relatively low vacancy in commercial property, and it's been a challenging time for busi- nesses," Mann says. "We've lost some P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Lucas Myers is co-founder and operations director of SoPo Seafood, a seafood market and raw bar at 171 Ocean St. in South Portland. F O C U S mojo Retail development takes off in South Portland B y R e n e e C o r d e s SoPo's

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