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V O L . X X X I I N O. X V I I I A U G U S T 2 4 , 2 0 2 6 16 G R E AT E R B A N G O R / N O R T H E R N M A I N E F O C U S Some malls are finding new life through redevelopment, includ- ing examples in Massachusetts cited by Daniel Amodeo, president of Amo Realty in Boston. ey include CambridgeSide for "embracing life sciences and mixed-use develop- ment while maintaining retail," and Assembly Row in Somerville for "showing how a former retail and industrial site can become an entire neighborhood for people to live, work, shop, dine and gather." Both are in suburban Boston. "e most successful mall develop- ments don't eliminate retail — they reduce their dependence on retail," Amodeo says. "By adding housing, offices, restaurants, entertainment and other uses, these properties generate activity throughout the day instead of relying almost entirely on weekend shoppers." Cole and his partners have a simi- lar long-term goal in Bangor, where five times more people commute from elsewhere for work than the other way around, according to U.S. Census data. Census estimates also show the population edging up 2% between 2020 and 2025, to 32,518. From rezoning to redevelopment To lay the groundwork for redevelop- ment of the Bangor Mall, the city has spent the past five years tweaking zon- ing rules to allow everything from resi- dential and commercial uses to indus- trial development on the property. "We looked at the building and its incredible location to the highway and knew that a host of uses would be appropriate for the site," says Anne Krieg, the city's economic develop- ment director. "We really wanted to have options that would be viable." But the city's push to reshape the property comes amid tensions with Namdar over alleged code violations, taking the owner to task in two sepa- rate lawsuits that are still pending. While Namdar has made some repairs in response to court orders, Krieg notes that the company still owes $1.15 million in court-ordered penalties. In an attempt to speed redevelop- ment of the Bangor Mall into afford- able housing, state Sen. Joe Baldacci, D-Bangor, last year introduced a bill that would have allowed the state to seize the mall through eminent domain, which empowers the government to take private property for public use, sub- ject to constitutional limits. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E The Bangor Mall, which opened in 1978, is 30% occupied. P H O T O S / J I M N E U G E R

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