Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 21 J U LY 2 4 , 2 0 2 3 In early September of that year, the team first visited a 42,000-square-foot, two-office-building property at 95-97 Darling Ave. in South Portland, part of which had been a WEX call center. "Our first impression was, 'too large and costly,'" says Bill Seretta, Fork Food Lab's executive director. As Fork's plans evolved, the nonprofit began leasing the property from East Brown Cow in 2022 — fol- lowed by a $5.92 million purchase and sales agreement this past May. After an extensive buildout of a space that includes rooms for events and retail sales, as well as a 40-seat pop-up space to test restaurant concepts, Fork Food Lab completed the move on June 30. Today, 50 members are working out of the enlarged Fork Food Lab, with others being brought in this summer and an additional 10 to 20 businesses expected to join this fall. e property has undergone more than one trans- formation, from flexible industrial space to an office and now Fork Food Lab — with a brewing room it may later use to brew its own brand of beer. Brice O'Connor, a broker at the Boulos Co. who advised the buyer on the purchase, predicts more deals like it in the months ahead. "I think the conversion of office buildings to alter- native users will be great for all asset classes," keeping office vacancies down while adding needed supply for industrial and other uses, O'Connor says. "ere's a way to balance all of the sectors, it just gets down to economics and feasibility." Renee Cordes, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached a t r c o r d e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c o r d e s P H O T O S / C O U R T E S Y O F E A S T B ROW N C OW East Brown Cow rents out urban high-end hospitality suites in refurbished historic office buildings, including this property at 115 Middle St. in Portland's Old Port. F O C U S CDL DRIVERS ROCHESTER PORTLAND AUBURN BRUNSWICK BOOTHBAY HARBOR DAMARISCOTTA BELGRADE FARMINGTON SKOWHEGAN FAIRFIELD GREENVILLE CALAIS BANGOR BUCKSPORT BELFAST CAMDEN ROCKLAND ELLSWORTH BLUE HILL BAR HARBOR CHERRYFIELD MACHIAS AUBURN • BANGOR • BAR HARBOR • BELFAST • BELGRADE • BLUE HILL • BOOTHBAY HARBOR • BRUNSWICK • BUCKSPORT • CALAIS • CAMDEN • CHERRYFIELD DAMARISCOTTA • ELLSWORTH • FAIRFIELD • FARMINGTON • GREENVILLE • MACHIAS • PORTLAND • ROCHESTER (NH) • ROCKLAND • SKOWHEGAN 22 LOCATIONS ACROSS MAINE & NEW HAMPSHIRE 1 - 8 0 0 - H A M M O N D W W W . H A M M O N D L U M B E R . C O M R E A D Y T O P I V O T W H E N E V E R Y O U R J O B D O E S .

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