At Portland fitness studio, surging demand prompts expansion

The exterior of a building has a flag flying.

Photo / Courtesy Salud Salud Studios is renovating about half of a 30,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by a World Gym.

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By Laurie Schreiber

A Portland fitness studio that started in 2019 with 1,400 square feet has seen such a surge in demand that it’s expanding into a space that’s almost 15,000 square feet.

Salud Studios leased 14,820 square feet of retail space at 265 Marginal Way from Diamond Street LLC.

Justin Lamontagne from the Dunham Group brokered the lease.

“It’s absolutely exploded,” Dorienne Lewin, the studio’s owner, said of demand.

Photo / Courtesy Salud

Dorienne Lewin

The 14,820-square-foot space is in a larger building of about 52,000 square feet, where another new tenant, Kevin Moschella, recently leased 15,288 square feet and has renovations underway to open a business called minibar (with a lower-case “m”), with a mini-golf course, sports bar and pub fare.

“What’s happening at 265 Marginal is very exciting and a real boon for the city,” said Lamontagne.

Once a shoe factory

The property’s owner and developer is the Cardente Family. Michael Cardente is a representative for the family.

The building was originally a shoe factory in the early 1950s, Cardente told Mainebiz. His parents bought the building in the early 1970s, performed upgrades, had their own business in part of it and leased the rest.

The 30,000 square feet located closest to Marginal Way was most recently leased by World Gym.

When the space became vacant, the original intent was to bring in a single tenant for the entire 30,000 square feet. But the space was too large for most retailers and light industrial users, Lamontagne said.

The Cardentes decided to divide the space into two suites, which attracted interest and offers.

Cardente family has a number of properties in the neighborhood, including 103 Fox St., home to Rising Tide Brewing Co., a business recently acquired by Oxbow Brewing Co. but retaining the name and facility.

Many of the Cardentes’ tenants stay 15 to 20 years.

“It’s not just about getting a tenant. It’s about who’s going to be there for the long term and will they do well with other tenants in the area,” Cardente said.

In addition to dividing the 30,000 square feet, the Cardentes performed upgrades that included removing metal siding from the exterior.

“We’re taking off that siding and renovating and bringing back the old character of the factory,” Cardente said. “That gives it a cool, different look.”

He added, “ I think the community will be excited because it’s going to be so vibrant with these two businesses. It’s a really nice ending to that story.”

Multiple classes

Lewin, the owner of Salud, graduated from Point Park University in Pittsburgh with a bachelor of arts degree in modern dance. She became a nationally certified personal trainer, and an instructor in Pilates, yoga, barre and bounce.

Bounce is a cardio activity using a trampoline combined with strength training. Barre utilizes a ballet barre and incorporates isometric (muscle-tightening) movements with resistance training. Pilates is a full body-conditioning program comprised of designed movements.

People sit on Pilates tables and look into mirros.

Photo / Courtesy Salud

Salud offers classes such as Pilates, seen here at 275B Marginal Way.

Moving to Maine from Chicago 10 years ago, she conceived of the idea to have multiple types of classes under one roof.

She started Salud in March 2019 in a 1,400-square-foot space on Casco Street in Portland.

The business closed for three months in 2020. When it reopened, Lewin found that people were eager to find community and to exercise.

Three years ago, as the business prospered, she decided to relocate to a larger space at 275B Marginal Way, with a build-out for a 3,600-square-foot studio. She closed the Casco Street studio.

Demand continued to grow, warranting further expansion one building over to 265 Marginal Way.

“I went, nearly three years ago, from five or six instructors and 45 classes to 30 instructors and 130 classes per week,” she said.

The instructors are independent contractors. Lewin recently hired her first employee, a general manager.

1,500 visits weekly

The 265 Marginal Way space is being built to house four studios, a gym, a spa with four treatment areas and a sauna, four showers and eight bathrooms.

The interior of a big space is under construction.

Photo / Courtesy Salud

Build-out at 265 Marginal Way is expected to be complete within the next couple of months.

Another entrepreneur, Naomi Hall, will open a café and smoothie bar called Luna, Lewin added.

Construction is underway with walls going up. The goal is to open by late March or early April.

Lewin will continue to operate the 275B Marginal Way location to provide education and certification programs for instructors.

Salud sees at least 1,500 visits weekly.

“Our classes fill up really quickly,” she said.

By offering a range of classes under one membership, clientele can experience different types of movement under one roof without multiple memberships.

“The idea is to keep it all under roof with a monthly subscription. People come in five, six, seven times a week for classes.”

She continued, “It’s also about the community. People come in and they make friends and they help each other out.”

Investment into build-out at 265 Marginal Way is expected to be $800,000. Financing comes from a Coastal Enterprises Inc. loan program, the city of Portland and a loan from Androscoggin Bank and cash.

“I keep taking steps forward and the doors have been opening,” said Lewin. “It’s the right time for the business, the landlord’s great, my members are really excited.”

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