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V O L . X X I I I N O. I I J ohn Callinan left retirement to start a business and a new life in Gardiner. After a career in health care administration and then a few years of fl y fi shing and other hobbies, he decided to try his hand in the fast-growing craft-beer sector. e Massachusetts native signed on with the Craft Beer Cellar retail franchise and eyed several possible locations for his shop but "kept coming back to Gardiner," he says, because of its historic charm. It helped that he received $45,000 in fi nancial incentives to defray the cost of renovating an old bakery. Callinan's shop, which opened in November 2015, stocks hundreds of beers from Allagash Brewing Co. stouts to fruity lambics from Belgium and hosts regular tastings. "Maine is really becoming a destination for beer geeks," Callinan says, "and we are getting recog- nized as having the same brands and quality as anything in Portland." Gardiner, about six miles down the Kennebec River from Augusta, is courting businesses like Craft Beer Cellar to boost economic growth. Closer to the state capital, the smaller Hallowell, once known for its granite quarries and antique shops, has big plans of its own. Both have their work cut out for them after Gardiner saw its population drop from 6,685 in 1970 to 5,675 in 2014, and Hallowell from 2,814 to 2,329 over the same period. " e census projects that our population numbers will continue to decline. I want to turn that around," says Patrick Wright, executive director of Gardiner Main Street, one of 2,000 Main Street community revitalization groups nationwide and 10 in Maine. " at's an ambitious goal and some might say we're crazy, but I think we can accomplish that by focusing on community development and quality of life." Wright, also a consultant to the city on economic and community development, says he took the job with Gardiner Main Street more than fi ve years ago because he "saw a great opportunity for growth." "I saw a ton of potential and a beautiful downtown, in a community starting to turn a corner," he adds. In 2014 the city launched an ambitious incentive program with a $125,000 pledge from e Bank of Maine, which was later acquired by Camden National Bank. e Gardiner Growth Initiative, as the program is formally known, is run by Gardiner Main Street and provides up to $50,000 in forgivable loans to businesses that stay downtown for at least fi ve years and up to $10,000 in grants from the Gardiner Board of Trade to cover costs not eligible for loan funding. Today, $39,400 remains available in forgivable loans, Wright says. ough start-ups may apply, the preference has been for existing businesses with a successful track record. Besides the Craft Beer Cellar, the program has lured Frosty's Donuts, which is based in Brunswick, and Emery's Meat & Produce of Hartland. Wright stressed that while Gardiner prizes entrepreneurship and the energy around starting a business from scratch, getting more stable, well-capitalized businesses "is really key to helping the momentum." at momen- tum extends to the Libby Hill Business Park, where Wright has seen a "real uptick in interest recently." A total of $3.7 million in economic development grants has poured into Gardiner since 2011. Of that amount, $2.07 million in federally funded Community Development Block Grants have gone to new arrivals, including Sebago Lake Distillery LLC, Central Maine Meats and Lost Orchard Brewing Co. LLC, adding to Gardiner's status as a food and drink production hub. at's not by accident. e sector was among 10 that were strategically targeted by the Growth Initiative. Medical services is another, with redevelopment of an old industrial site expected this year for a planned MaineGeneral Health medical arts facility. In the shadow of Augusta, two downtowns flourish Gardiner and Hallowell taking different paths to economic development B y R e n e e C o r d e s A U G U S TA / WAT E R V I L L E F O C U S Patrick Wright, executive director of Gardiner Main Street, in front of the organization's building, which was donated by Camden National Bank. John Callinan of Craft Beer Cellar in downtown Gardiner. P H O T O S / T I M G R E E N WAY JA N UA R Y 2 3 , 2 0 1 7 20

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