Food hub and co-working space anchor Northeast Harbor revitalization
Photo / Laurie Schreiber
In Northeast Harbor, chef Tracey Aberman operates a food hub at 123 Main St., which was rebuilt after two downtown fires destroyed four buildings.
NORTHEAST HARBOR — Chef Tracey Aberman arrived in Maine by sailboat, working as a private chef, and has maintained a connection here for 25 years.
She’s now establishing a food hub in a downtown building that was rebuilt after two devastating fires in 2008 and 2009 destroyed a total of four structures.
Her concept allows her to work cost-effectively with the area’s small farmers and vendors, while adapting to the busy season, July and August, when she offers private-table evening dining.
“The unique thing about this area is that a lot of entertaining happens in the summer — cocktail parties, dinner parties every night,” she said.
Part of a wider downtown redevelopment
The food hub is part of the redevelopment of 123 Main St., which also includes a co-working space on an upper floor.
John and Johanna Boynton, who live in Concord, Mass., and have a summer house in Northeast Harbor, formed Rising Tide Partners LLC in 2014 as a holding company for downtown properties. They’ve rebuilt 123 Main St., formerly Small’s Drugstore, and plan to redevelop 145 Main St., which was the Wingspread Gallery before the 2008 fire.
The redevelopment was made with an eye toward helping the small community revitalize its economy after the fires, which coincided with the recession.
The Boyntons first tackled the former pharmacy building, at 123 Main. The initial plan was to renovate the existing building, but the structure proved unsound.
“So we took down the original and rebuilt an exact replica” of the original two-story building, each story 2,500 square feet, said John Boynton, speaking by phone from Massachusetts.
The plan was to open the upper floor this summer as a co-working space, The Wheelhouse. It’s modeled on The Wheelhouse the Boyntons developed at Concord’s Bradford Mill and now has 70 members.
“We’ll provide a fully furnished, turnkey office environment,” said Boynton. “Down here, it’s been a game-changer for a lot of people. We’re hoping it will have that same impact for Northeast Harbor.”
Thus far, the Boyntons have invested around $2 million in 123 Main St.
The Wheelhouse in Northeast Harbor will be outfitted with private offices, open desks, a conference room, swivel chairs, file cabinets, storage units, white board, projection screen, internet and WiFi, a phone system with private extensions and email notification of voicemail, and capability for video conferencing, printing, fax and scanning. The space will be accessible 24/7.
“It’s designed so someone can come in and say ‘I’d like an office or a desk’ and when they come back tomorrow it’s fully configured for them,” said Boyton. “They have their own phone number and pay a single fee that covers internet and telephone. It’s simple, all-in pricing, and eliminates many of the hassles people experience when they work from home.”
More co-working space?
Boynton said he hopes to begin redevelopment of 145 Main St. in the next year or so, possibly adding more co-working space. He said these are not typical business investments for him, but part of a broad-based community effort to catalyze the town’s year-round economy.
“The town and Summer Residents Association have partnered to invest in economic revitalization, including hiring an economic development consultant to help spearhead that effort,” he said. “Our hope is that, in time, Northeast Harbor can become a vital year-round commercial area. Technology has transformed the workplace, and there’s no reason the next Facebook or Instagram couldn’t be invented right in Northeast Harbor. If you’ve got a good internet connection, good ideas and good community, there’s no limit to what you can do.”
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