The Downs in Scarborough has the green light to start construction on three commercial buildings in the Town Center with 144,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space including a Market Basket supermarket set to open in 2026.
The 80,000-square-foot Market Basket, to be located at the corner of Market Street and Scarborough Downs Road, was announced last November as the Town Center’s first retail tenant and Maine’s fourth branch of the Massachusetts-based Market Basket chain. The store is projected to create 300 new jobs.
Valued at $70 million, the retail and mixed-use development will also include a 46,000-square-foot building for retail and restaurant tenants and a five-story mixed-use structure with 15,000 square feet on the ground floor for smaller, locally owned restaurants, retail and other businesses.
The upper four floors will offer 76 one- and two-bedroom housing units.
“This is an exciting set for Scarborough,” said Jon Anderson, a member of the Scarborough Town Council and Downtown Committee. “I am pleased that the project is moving forward as planned and will begin delivering the amenities residents want.”
What’s being touted as Maine’s first new Town Center will be surrounded by a green space with tree-lined sidewalks and trails connecting the whole property.
Two buildings on Market Street, just off Haigis Parkway, are under construction.
Allagash Scarborough and Bite Into Maine will occupy the ground floor of 10 Market St., with second- and third-floor office condominium space for sale. A neighboring Market Street building is being designed for a small restaurant or a coffee shop.
The current phase of Town Center also offers new residential units for sale, which will deliver 96 high-end units that are priced at just under $400,000.
“Our team is proud of our progress and remains committed to delivering a project that follows Scarborough’s Comprehensive Plan, meets all zoning requirements, and delivers the benefits that the community wants and needs,” said Dan Bacon, director of development at M&R Development, owner of the Downs.
Construction on the 577-acre project started in 2018, when the property was valued at least than $8 million. Developers of the Downs say they expect to create more than $615 million in new value and generate more than $10 million in additional tax revenue per year.