Peter Harrington

Storefront vacancies in the Congress Street corridor reflect the economic costs of the city's homeless problems, but some new businesses are also moving in.

Maine Art Collective has been running two short-term galleries in Portland and Ogunquit, and has now signed its first three-year lease to operate a second Portland location.

There are over 270 Warby Parker stores across the U.S. and in Canada, but so far none in Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont.

Stonewall Kitchen, a specialty food producer based in York, plans to open a retail shop on Commercial Street in Portland.

Despite higher interest rates and a host of winter storms, the outlook for the retail sector is strong, says Peter Harrington of Malone Commercial Brokers.

MEREDA's annual Forecast Conference and Member Showcase presented a mixed outlook for the year in many categories, including hospitality, commercial, residential and multifamily projects.

Free People will join sibling retailers Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie on the same stretch of Middle Street in Portland.

The merger of two like-minded firms maintains the ‘local’ focus. Good square-footage, proximity to downtown Portland and off-street parking checked the boxes.

Here’s a roundup of commercial leases in Maine first published in the weekly Mainebiz Real Estate Insider in February. The information is provided by brokerages, and thus does not include privately managed transactions. 

The Maine Association of Realtors annually picks a member who has made significant contributions to the advancement of the real estate profession and the community at large.