Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 A U G U S T 2 2 , 2 0 1 6 G R E AT E R B A N G O R F O C U S elsewhere in the downtown, attract- ing additional visitors and investment. She envisions a continuation of down- town Bangor's recent surge in new retail, restaurants and living quarters. "We've seen such changes in down- town when large spaces are rehabbed and become productive again," Emery says. Two historic buildings, 25–27 Broad St. — featuring an unusual curved façade — and 28 Broad St. are good examples of transformation in recent years, she says. " ey were dormant for decades," Emery says. "When those were pur- chased separately and rehabbed by developers, all of sudden that block feels diff erent. You round the corner not into a dark, unused area but into the light," with high-end residential activity and eateries. "So the city is excited to see this piece of the downtown, which has been a little dark, really come alive." A block with a distinctive past ere's plenty of history behind the Exchange Street block, which was "once the heart of Bangor's social scene and fi lled with bars and restaurants," Bangor Historical Society Executive Director Melissa Gerety writes in an email to Mainebiz. " e ballroom of the Nichols block was a popular place." Gerety is referring to the grand ballroom on the third fl oor of the old- est of the six buildings, on the corner of Exchange and York. "Nichols Block 1892" is engraved on a granite block on the façade. According to "Bangor, Maine — 1769-1914 Architectural History" by Deborah ompson, the three-story building, with high fl oors and large windows, was called the E. C. Nichols Block and was designed by architect Wilfred E. Mansur. Among its early uses, it housed Tyler R. Fogg and Co. Investment Bankers on the ground fl oor. e interior design featured plenty of solid mahogany and bronze grillwork. e Nichols building was the only one on the block to survive Bangor's great fi re of 1911, which destroyed much of the downtown. e other buildings on the block, dating back at least to 1875, were destroyed by the fi re. But the Exchange Street replace- ments now date back a century or more. Working north along the block, there's 195 Exchange, a three-story brick commercial building; and 197- 199 Exchange, a three-story commer- cial building that's part of a district of buildings constructed immediately after the fi re as part of a concentrated rebuilding campaign, along Exchange, C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » You've worked, sweated, and sacrificed. You've made good on a few of life's dreams. Our team will honor this lifelong effort with the same level of dedication —and the same work ethic—that it took to realize your dreams. First Advisors PERFORMANCE YOU CAN TRUST First Advisors Investment Management. Retirement Planning. Trust Services | firstadvisorsonline.com | 866-563-1900 PROTECTING DREAMS | Securities and investment products are not bank deposits, are not insured by the FDIC or any other government agency, are not obligations of, nor guaranteed by, any bank or bank affiliate, and may involve investment risk, including the possible loss of value or principal amount invested. YOUR LIFE'S WORK IS OUR LIFE'S WORK. IS OUR LIFE'S WORK. For 38 years, we've been providing 'em. Six Locations in Maine / 207.989.4824 / ces-maine.com / Engineers w Environmental Scientists w Surveyors Sensible Solutions

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