Mainebiz

V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 A P R I L 6 , 2 0 2 6 We're attorneys. But we're people first. Meet Conor. Specializing in construction law, commercial litigation, and real estate litigation, Conor partners with clients throughout the construction process—from planning and contract drafting to dispute resolution and litigation. bernsteinshur.com Conor Shankman Shareholder From the Editor M ainebiz has been actively following the changes in Portland's downtown. Last July, we had a cover story, "Portland at a crossroads," written by Deputy Editor Renee Cordes, that looked at the growing number of vacancies on Congress Street, a main thoroughfare through the downtown. Increased crime, home- lessness and drug use were factors in the down- turn, Mainebiz reported at the time. at story, which included a store-by-store inventory of vacancies, won an award in the New England Newspaper and Press Association contest and, we just learned, will receive an award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, which will hold its annual conference in Philadelphia in May. Fast forward to this issue, Renee returned to Congress Street to interview some new retail- ers along the downtown corridor. Her report is, while the area is still staging a comeback, it may have hit bottom. Her story for this issue starts on Page 12. Elsewhere in the issue, Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber looks at a real estate story that's as much about changing demograph- ics as it is about bricks and mortar. Former churches are being reused in a variety of ways, from restaurants and event spaces to housing and community centers. Finally, Staff Writer Tina Fischer looks at how factory-built components are speeding up parts of the construction process. "Where it used to take a month to frame and get a building watertight, it now takes three-and-a-half days," says one con- struction manager. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Featured @ Mainebiz.biz Mainebiz returns to Congress Street in Portland to interview some new downtown retailers. For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews P H O T O / T I N A F I S C H E R 1 Mainebiz offers the latest business news in the Daily Report and the Real Estate Insider newsletters. Here is the top content from March 1-30. 1. Freeport builder turning former brewery space into its new headquarters 2. Portland Housing Authority plans 173 apartments in East Bayside 3. Boutique hotel set for May debut on Portland waterfront 4. Realtors assist with Habitat for Humanity project in Standish 5. New South Portland restaurant welcomes dogs (and humans) 6. Bay State hardware chain buys Kennebunk store, its second in Maine 7. Meet the 2026 Business Leaders of the Year 8. Construction of 24-unit condo development underway in Kennebunk 9. From the Editor: A mix of known and less well-known leaders make their mark 10. Thompson's Point project will add 257 apartments to market Downtown Portland's next chapter

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