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F U L L C O N T E N T S O N PA G E 4 F O C U S L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N 22 L/A rolls out welcome mat for industry Space for manufacturing and warehouses has been in short supply in the Portland and southern Maine markets, but Lewiston and Auburn have both the existing buildings and the land for potential development. T odd Spencer's phone has been ringing off the hook. Spencer is the property manager for Lewiston-based real estate owner, developer and contractor Gendron & Gendron, whose owner and presi- dent, David Gendron, owns close to 2 million square feet of industrial space, along with retail and office space, most in the Lewiston/Auburn area. Prospective tenants are coveting that space — a combination of build- ings either purchased or developed by Gendron & Gendron. Demand for warehouse space, in particular, is hot, Spencer says. "I've got more phone calls and we're in the grind with more people in the last four to six weeks than in probably the past four years," says Spencer. Lewiston and Auburn have about a dozen industrial or business parks. ‡e significant real estate activity includes the purchase of the former 120,000-square-foot recycled paper processing plant, which the Canadian company Cascades Inc. closed last year. ‡e plant, at 586 Lewiston Junction Road in Auburn, was snapped up after just two weeks on the market. For now, it is not clear what the site will be used for. Companies taking over more space range from L.L.Bean, which needs additional space to accommodate the surging popularity of its Bean boots, to companies that make components for medical devices to a company that provides crane-and-rigging services. ‡e keen interest is tightening existing inventory, says Tom Dunham, partner and broker at the Portland- based NAI ‡e Dunham Group. Industrial space crunch moves north L/A's industrial space is in demand B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N F O C U S AUBURN LEWISTON 202 121 126 196 136 12 13 15 14 14 16 6 7 8 5 9 3 4 1 2 10 11 P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Peter Rinck of Rinck Advertising, left, and attorney Jim Howaniec stand on the James B. Longley Bridge between Lewiston and Auburn. Rinck is in favor of the proposed merger of the two cities, while Howaniec opposes the idea. Voters will get their say in November. FOR AND AGAINST S TA RT I N G O N PA G E 1 8 S TA RT I N G O N PA G E 1 8 L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N F O C U S It's complicated B y L o r i V a l i g r a A merger of Lewiston and Auburn would save money, but critics worry at what cost $2.00 May 29, 2017 VO L . X X I I I N O. X I I www.mainebiz.biz

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