🔒Don’t overlook Maine’s downtowns

Downtowns in transition is not a new theme. We in this country have been talking about downtown renewal, “urban renewal,” for half a century, going back to the flight to the suburbs in the 1950s.

Downtowns in Maine have their own set of challenges. An aging population and static growth are factors that scare away national chain stores and developers. The International Downtown Association put out a report last year, “Downtown Rebirth: Documenting the Live-Work Dynamic in 21st Century U.S. Cities,” that started with the line, “Downtowns across the United States are thriving.”

“From Boston to San Diego, Seattle to Miami, cities are diversifying their economies and land use, restoring and enlivening public spaces. During the last three decades, city centers have been adding arts, culture, dining, education, medical and research institutions, along with hospitality, leisure and sports venues. Simultaneously, there has been a dramatic and sustained increase in residents, living both within business districts and adjacent neighborhoods.”

I'm tired just reading about it.

Now, here's the bone I'd pick with this report: It looked at 150 cities, but none were in Maine. It looked at Lubbock, Texas, and Sandy Springs, Ga., and Tysons Corner, Va., but not Portland and, in fact, not a single downtown in the northern New England states of Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont.

Here's the thing: We may not have the population density or a Dell or a Microsoft, or a Research Triangle or a Silicon Valley, to add population and bolster our downtowns. But the downtowns in Maine are anything but stagnant.

In just a year and a half of living in Yarmouth, I've seen the turnover of several Main Street retailers: the closing of Royal Bean coffee shop and the opening of Carpe Diem, a restaurant; the closing of Handy Andy's and the rebirth as Handy's, including an in-store Otto Pizza; and now the closing of a 46-year-old hardware store, Goff's, whose building will be turned into an art studio, according to the Portland Press Herald.

As our cover story by Senior Writer Lori Valigra shows, there are downtowns in Maine going through similar transitions.

Lori has been putting a lot of miles on her Volkswagen. For this story, she visited merchants in Norway, Gardiner and Waterville. (Also recently, she made a second trek to Houlton, but that's another story.)

Yes, she found downtowns that have gone through ups and downs. But in each downtown she found examples of young Mainers, entrepreneurs, providing new life with a craft brewery, an exercise studio, a food co-op, among other businesses.

Small changes, maybe. But, with many things in Maine, one person and one business can make a difference.

A farewell to one young Mainer

Our online editor, Dylan Martin, is headed to Boston, as many of you know. Dylan broke the news publicly on his Twitter feed, @DylanLJMartin, which is fitting because in a year and a half on the job he has taken Mainebiz' social media presence to a new level. He's increased readership and helped give us a strong editorial voice. He has worked to make our Daily email more relevant, while adding insight to our coverage of everything from the entertainment industry to craft beer makers to commercial real estate development. He's headed to Boston to write for BostInno, which covers tech, startups, business, higher education and city life. We want to thank him for his good work and wish him well.