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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 U G U S T 2 4 , 2 0 2 6 We're attorneys. But we're people first. bernsteinshur.com Anne-Marie Storey Senior Counsel Meet Anne-Marie. Deeply connected to the Bangor region and known throughout the state, Anne-Marie is a recognized leader in employment law with more than two decades of experience guiding businesses through workplace challenges. From the Editor T he Bangor Mall is in a high-profile location that has nonetheless had a hard time staying with the times. Over the years, the mall has contended with a lineup of traditional anchor stores that had gotten stale as well as changes in consumer shopping habits. Vacancies have been an issue in recent years. at looks to change soon, as Deputy Editor Renee Cordes writes in our cover story. New owners look to mix up the offerings, starting with fresh retail and, eventually, a conversion of some of the space to multifamily housing. As Renee writes, why not demolish the 48-year-old structure and build something new from scratch? "You would be tearing down a perfectly good building," says Michael Cole, a Bangor-based real estate broker who's leading a local group formed to buy and repurpose the Bangor Mall into a mixed- use hub anchored by retail and services. Up the road, in Orono, two new buildings look to add to the University of Maine's standing as a research institution. As Staff Writer Tina Fischer reports, UMaine will unveil the Green Engineering and Materials, or GEM, building this fall to boost innovation in manufacturing. Not far away on campus, the uni- versity will also open the Sustainable Aquaculture Workforce Innovation Center to address research and training for a growing segment of the econ- omy. e two buildings represent an investment of more than $90 million. Back in Bangor, Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber has a roundup of new investments. As Laurie writes, "With a daytime population of around 120,000, Bangor functions as a hub with good city services, a rapidly expand- ing airport that has a Foreign Trade Zone, multiple exits on I-95, a working downtown, historic neighborhoods and events, arts and culture options." Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Bangor is a regional hub for city services, an airport, an active downtown, historic neighborhoods, events and arts and culture. Featured @ Mainebiz.biz For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Mainebiz offers the latest business news in the Daily Report and the Real Estate Insider newsletters. Here is the top content from Aug. 1–15. 1. Two Maine hospitals named among nation's best regional facilities 2. MaineHealth to close labor and delivery service at Damariscotta hospital 3. After nearly two decades, Cape Elizabeth's Goddard Mansion welcomes back visitors 4. Maine Med nurses protest colleague's detention by ICE 5. 37-home expansion underway at Falmouth senior living community 6. Maine's changing maple industry a 'masterclass' in adaptation 7. Maine Med nurse released by ICE 8. Owner of Hi Bombay to open Nepali restaurant in SoPo's Knightville neighborhood 9. CEO of BerryDunn resigns; insider named as interim leader 10. Maine leaders offer advice on what they'd tell their younger selves F I L E P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y N O R T H E R N L I G H T E A S T E R N M A I N E M E D I C A L C E N T E R 1 A region at a crossroads

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