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V O L . X X V I I I N O. I I I F E B R UA R Y 7 , 2 0 2 2 18 C O M M E R C I A L D E V E L O P M E N T R ockland has become a microcosm of the debate on how to protect and adapt Maine's working water- fronts in the face of commercial develop- ment pressure and climate change. e potential sale of three com- mercial waterfront properties has the potential to bring new development and tax revenue, but also great change to the town's character. e sale would package together properties that in total span 8.77 acres of land and waterfront infrastructure and include more than 55,000 square feet of industrial space nestled between the harbor and Main Street at the north end of the city's downtown. Current businesses include Schooner Wharf, which offers deep-water berth- ing for ships, Steel-Pro Inc., which manufactures stainless steel tanks and other industrial items, and North End Shipyard Inc., a marina and boatyard that services much of Maine's tall ship fleet. e properties are being marketed as development opportunities for hotels, restaurants, retail or office space, residential or marine usage and are listed for sale for $13.9 million, accord- ing to the New England Commercial Property Exchange. "We expect that whatever we do will be controversial," says Ed Glaser, mayor of Rockland. "We will try to find balance. We want new investment in Rockland somehow. Growth — it's essential. You can't stay still or stay in the past. Growth can be controlled or funneled into where it makes the most sense." P H O T O / DAV E C L O U G H Ed Glaser, mayor of Rockland, with one of the Penobscot Bay tall ships behind him, cites the need for new investment and growth. F O C U S THE 'LAST 20 MILES' What's left Elsewhere in Rockland, the nonprofit Island Institute has been sounding the alarm about shrinking coastal frontage still available for commercial use by fish- ermen, boatbuilders, marinas and so on. Of Maine's 5,300 miles of coastline, just a fraction, 20 miles, is still avail- able for working waterfront, according to the nonprofit's 2014 report, "e Last 20 Miles." Another study, by the Maine State Planning Office, suggests that the majority of Maine's coastline will be classified as suburban or urban by 2050. e question of how to balance growth and protect working waterfronts is playing out across the state. In Portland, Union Wharf recently sold for $12.35 million to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute and the Custom House Wharf has a deal pend- ing to a Maine group that plans to keep it as a piece of working waterfront. Real estate boom and changing demands threaten what's left of Maine's working waterfront B y J e s s i c a H a l l

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