Mainebiz

V O L . X X X N O. X V J U LY 8 , 2 0 2 4 6 U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden announced that the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance was awarded $1.3 million in funding from the National Science Foundation to launch the Rural Energy Futures project. The project allows eighth grade students in rural communities across the state to learn math while exploring local energy issues. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services in Augusta an- nounced that it received two federal grants totaling $1.7 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration via the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Grant money will be used to strengthen community out- reach and support long-term recovery services to 11 counties affected by the severe storms in December 2023 and January 2024. The Northern Border Regional Commission awarded 12 Maine or- ganizations a total of $7.4 million in federal funding to strengthen eco- nomic opportunity in Maine communi- ties. Recipients included the towns of Bethel, Rockport and Ellsworth and the Beth Brunswick Memorial Fund, $1 million each; Maine Audubon Society, $756,544; town of Fort Kent, Aroostook Micmac Council and Downeast Institute, $500,000 each; Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center, $484,447; Beth C. Wright Cancer Center, $335,328; town of Grand Isle, $250,000; and the Washburn Trailrunners Snowmobile Club, $44,704. Sebago Technics Inc., an employee- owned engineering collective in South Portland, opened an office at 15 Daigle Lane, Suite 103, in Sanford. The John T. Gorman Foundation in Portland announced that it awarded 79 grants totaling $1.5 million to nonprof- its in all 16 Maine counties to provide food, shelter and other essential servic- es to Mainers in need through its 2024 Direct Services Grant Program. Hussey Seating Co., in North Berwick announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire select assets from Camatic Seating, an Australian- based competitor. The acquisition is limited to Camatic's intellectual prop- erty, trademarks, designs and tooling on select seat products. Bubble Bliss Milk Tea opened at 23 Temple St. in Portland. Partners Bank in Sanford awarded 20 scholarships to high school graduates in Southern Maine and Northern New Hampshire totaling $24,000. Reveler Development, a real estate investment, development, construction and management company in Portland, gave the University of Southern Maine Foundation in Portland $50,000 to become a founding sponsor of the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success. Marin Skincare in Portland re- leased a new lip treatment product, Campfire S'mores. The Maine Connectivity Authority in Portland said it awarded $12 million in grants to fund capital improvements to 12 community organizations across Maine including Caribou Public Library, Franklin County Adult and Community B U S I N E S S M A I N E Business news from around the state SP ONSORED BY FUN FACT: Maine's median sales price for a home jumped 12.18% in 2004, to $175,000. That might seem like the good old days when compared to the median sales price for May 2024: $398,250, according to Maine Listings. Portland's East End saw a real estate surge in 2005, but not everyone was happy about it B y P e t e r V a n A l l e n A story from the May 2, 2005, issue of Mainebiz looked at the impact of the development of Portland's East End. It's commonly accepted that one turning point was in 1994, when Shipyard Brewing Co. opened in a rehabbed factory building on India Street. But the story in 2005 looked at a few other key changes. In December 2001, a lease expired on Bath Iron Works' drydock facility. One East End business owner told Mainebiz in 2005, "the [BIW] dock put a lot of people off the area," though that same business owner said he was able to buy his building for $150,000, so perhaps there were tradeoffs. Nonetheless, the shift away from the dry dock eventually opened up waterfront space for the Ocean Gateway, which went hand-in-hand with the plan to attract more cruise ships to Portland. Proposals for hotels and condominiums also developed out of the change on the waterfront. The prospect of a $500,000 condo might have seemed high in those days, but may be considered a bargain today. Still, there were naysayers. Even in those early days of development, one local retailer was worried about the effect of too many visitors: "I hope it doesn't get too touristy," the shopkeeper told Mainebiz. N O T E W O R T H Y S O U T H E R N S O U T H E R N N O T E W O R T H Y S T A T E W I D E S T A T E W I D E M A I N E B I Z A R C H I V E

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