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August 25, 2024 2024 Fact Book: Doing Business in Maine

Biddeford: Thought you knew Biddeford? Think again!

PHOTO courtesy of The City of Biddeford’s Economic Development Department Main Street at sunrise.

The City of Biddeford is a very different community today than it was just 10 years ago. The city has transformed itself into a destination, featuring its own local culture that makes it easy for residents to live, work, learn and play right in their own backyard.

Biddeford is conveniently situated 15 miles south of Portland and 90 miles north of Boston. Just a few miles east of the historic downtown lies a magnificent coastline with long stretches of sandy beaches framed by rocky promontories.

Downtown development

It’s our downtown that has played a starring role in our renaissance, mainly through the adaptive reuse of former mill buildings that are now home to hundreds of residents and attracting the interest of small- and medium-sized business owners and large-scale developers alike. A thoughtful effort was made by developers to highlight the unique architectural qualities of the buildings and preserve as much of the structures as possible, creating a vibe through public and private investment that feels unique to Biddeford. The mills, historically a symbol of the city’s identity as a manufacturing hub, are now central to our new identity as a creative community.

The Lincoln Mill, a recent winner of the Maine Real Estate & Development Association Notable Projects Award, is a shining example of City support aiding the adaptive re-use of a former textile mill in the Biddeford/Saco Mills Historic District. The result: a vibrant mixed-use property developed by the team of Chinburg and Atlantic Holdings that is home to The Lincoln Hotel, a 33-room boutique hotel with a rooftop pool – the first of its kind in southern Maine, 147 modern apartments, Batson River Restaurant, and Impact Fitness.

In 2022, Main Street America heaped more praise on our striking downtown transformation when it awarded Heart of Biddeford, the city’s downtown organization, a Great American Main Street Award, recognizing the community for its excellence in comprehensive and preservation-based commercial district revitalization. The award highlighted the $216 million in public and private reinvestment made in our downtown, our 167 net new businesses, and the 99 buildings that were rehabilitated.

Growing and educated workforce

Biddeford’s metamorphosis has resulted in an incredible demand for people to live in our community, with nearly 1,700 new housing units either currently under construction or in the planning stages. This demand has resulted in a total property valuation that has nearly doubled (95% increase) in the past eight years – a sure sign that Biddeford is increasingly viewed as a desired community to live and work.

Biddeford is also home to two major institutions that serve as the area’s top employers.

  • MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Biddeford is part of the MaineHealth not-for-profit, integrated health system committed to a mission of providing high-quality affordable care, educating tomorrow’s caregivers and researching better ways to provide care.
  • The University of New England is a state-of-the-art educational institution that is ranked first in Maine for getting a job (Zippia) and the top Maine College for increasing career earnings (Brookings Institution).
PHOTO courtesy of The City of Biddeford’s Economic Development Department
An aerial view of Biddeford's Mill District.

Foodie recognition

Biddeford has been recognized in Eater, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, New York Times and more for our culinary scene and featured on Somebody Feed Phil, a Netflix’s program whose host Phil Rosenthal called Biddeford his “happiest food experience” during the filming of the season. We are home to Palace Diner, which first opened in 1927 and is thought to be Maine’s oldest dining car; as well as Magnus on Water, which has a James Beard Award Finalist on its team and is one of only 10 cocktail bars in the U.S. to be recognized by The Pinnacle Guide for the excellence of its bar program.

Reach out

The City of Biddeford’s Economic Development Department strives to make business and development as smooth as possible. Connect with us. Our staff is happy to help guide you through the process of starting a business here.

City of Biddeford

205 Main Street, Biddeford

George Gervais, Director of Economic and Community Development
george.gervais@biddefordmaine.org
207-284-9115

www.biddefordmaine.org