Thomaston hoping for rejuvenation when Route 1 project is completed
A grassroots group in Thomaston is taking proactive steps to capitalize on a two-year, $8.7 million Route 1 construction project when it’s completed this coming spring.
The project by the Maine Department of Transportation disrupted business along Thomaston’s Main Street and caused some businesses to shut down, but with construction winding down this spring, the Bangor Daily News reported, existing and new businesses are stepping up to boost the area’s revitalization.
Facilitating that effort is a new group called Main Street Matters, which aims to be a driving force in coordinating communication between businesses and the community, as well as spearheading projects such as improved signage and downtown activities.
Andrew Josephs, a business owner and co-founder of Main Street Matters, told the BDN that the construction project “caused a great deal of trauma and redirection of traffic. People were not really interested in driving through Thomaston. But now, that is wrapping up by and large, and Thomaston is waking up.”
In November, three ribbon-cutting ceremonies were held to welcome new businesses to Main Street, with two more slated for the new year.
But Gary Haynes, who closed his art gallery on Main Street because of the construction, told the BDN, “I’m just afraid that from a pure habit standpoint, it’s going to take some time for people to come back through Thomaston.”
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