🔒Store featuring ‘vintage, upcycled’ goods opens on Congress Street in Portland

Just in time for First Friday Art Walk, a store featuring vintage and upcycled products will open on Congress Street in downtown Portland. Amity's Maine is set to open today, June 5, at 578 Congress St. in the city's Arts District. The 2,596-square-foot space was sold for $750,000 in an off-market transaction, according to the Boulos Co. Nate Stevens of Boulos represented the seller, Bill Stauffer, in the sale. Reese McFarlane of Boulos represented the buyer, Meredith Winn, a designer and printmaker. Stauffer’s motivation was to find the right "steward" for the property rather than pursue a broader sale process, Boulos said in a news release. It was built in 1821 and is one of the few structures to survive Portland's Great Fire of 1866. "Bill was ready to sell to someone who he thought would be a good shepherd for years to come and who would appreciate the building as much as he has," said Stevens. "Finding that buyer took patience, but Meredith Winn was exactly who he was looking for."

Winn will operate Amity's Maine Vintage from a 600-square-foot retail space on the second floor, offering a mix of vintage housewares and clothing, children's books and toys, original block prints, handmade art, tea towels and upcycled designs made from vintage textiles. Her design studio occupies the back of the space, with the storefront looking out over the corner of Forest Avenue and Congress Street. (Strange Maine will remain as the street-level tenant.) "Being in the heart of the Arts District felt like a natural fit for my studio and storefront," said Winn. "This little building has watched the city grow up around her again and again. I feel lucky and honored to step in and continue the caretaking of this historic building." The shop will be open Friday through Sunday, with the grand opening on June 5 as part of Portland's First Friday Art Walk. Stevens noted the broader significance of the sale for the neighborhood. "This area of Portland has faced some challenges and drawn attention in recent years," the broker said. "I think it's an encouraging sign that the building sold to someone who is committed to putting down roots here and being a part of the larger investment in the community's future."