Market Basket hiring in advance of November opening in Scarborough

Market Basket is now hiring for an 80,000-square-foot supermarket that's expected to open at the Downs in November. When Mainebiz visited the site Monday to photograph the new Market Basket location, hiring was underway as the company prepares to staff the store and equipment was being brought into the building. The store's exterior sign had not yet been installed. M&R Development, led by the Risbara and Michaud families, is developing the project, with Shaw Brothers Construction handling site work. The Massachusetts-based grocery will be located at the corner of Market Street and Scarborough Downs Road. It is expected to carry more than 50,000 products and will be Market Basket's fourth Maine location, joining stores in Topsham, Westbrook and Biddeford. The company was founded in Lowell, Mass., in 1917 and now operates 90 stores across four states. The supermarket will also be located near the Costco warehouse that opened in 2023 in the Downs' Innovation District, north of the Town Center. More to come at the Downs The arrival of Market Basket is part of a collection of businesses planned for the Town Center section of the Downs. It's expected to be the first retail tenant in the development's Town Center, with Costco and Allagash Brewing open in other parts of the 550-acre Downs. Dan Bacon, director of development for M&R Development, told Mainebiz that Maine Community Bank, NBT Bank, Verizon and Cafe Luna have also committed. An InterMed site is under construction at the Downs and is slated to open in March 2027. "It is a strong sign that these essential businesses have announced tenancy, and they were intentionally selected to build confidence for the other retailers that we are currently in negotiations with," said Bacon. "We expect to have announcements coming soon, as we have active conversations ongoing with home furnishing and apparel companies, as well as restaurateurs and breweries, and a variety of other exciting retailers.” The Downs spans 550 acres and includes residential, commercial and recreational development. The Town Center is being built as a gathering and shopping area within the larger mixed-use neighborhood.