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Sponsored by: City of Westbrook
July 24, 2019 2019 Fact Book: Doing Business in Maine

Westbrook Economic Development

Photo from City of Westbrook From left, Brian Kaplan (Waterstone), Brendan Crosby (Consigli), Jerry Dorval (Consigli), Daniel Stevenson (City of Westbrook), Ken Mahtesian (Waterstone), and Josh Levy (Waterstone) stand on the site of Rock Row.
Photo by Rob Mitchell Downtown Westbrook, situated on the Presumpscot River, is flourishing with many new restaurants, breweries and cafes.

Westbrook works for you!

Great things are happening in Westbrook. With many major commercial and residential projects in progress, the City of Westbrook is being revitalized and drawing investment from a variety of sectors.

“The private sector invests in communities that invest in themselves,” says Westbrook’s Economic Development Director, Daniel Stevenson.

This is evidenced by a series of recent investments from both the private and public sectors.

Waterstone Properties Group Inc. is developing Rock Row, a transformative 110-acre mixed-use development in Westbrook, with an investment of over $200 million. The site of a former quarry is being redeveloped to bring a unique combination of diverse entertainment, destination retail, healthy urban living, and an overall immersive experience to Westbrook and the Greater Portland Region.

Josh Levy, a principal for Waterstone Properties Group Inc. says, “The location of Rock Row is ideal. It will provide accessibility to those who live nearby as well as those passing through. This development will have a major economic impact for the region, providing thousands of jobs through construction and the businesses that locate there.”

Already announced as tenants of Rock Row are Market Basket, Waterfront Concerts/Live Nation, Cinemark (a 12-screen movie theater), Colicchio Beer and Food Hall, Brandt Hospitality, Starbucks and the Paper Store. The newly constructed Maine Savings Pavilion concert venue at Rock Row with a capacity of 8,200 kicked off its first concert this spring, while Market Basket is slated to open in early 2020.

“We are pleased to welcome Rock Row to our city. This development will be a major stepping stone in the shift to make Westbrook destination-oriented,” says Stevenson.

Other noteworthy private sector investments in Westbrook include IDEXX’s $62 million expansion, which will offer more workspace on the state-of-the-art campus and bring hundreds of new jobs; and Maine Health’s purchase of 1 Riverfront Plaza, an investment of $10.5 million, which realized approximately 600 employees in Westbrook’s Downtown.

“We understand the speed of business and work to mitigate environmental and financial risk,” says Stevenson. “Whether you are a startup or an established business expanding within the community or relocating to Westbrook, we listen to your needs and focus on high levels of certainty as you make go/no-go decisions.”

In 2020 Westbrook plans to launch a comprehensive Business Retention and Expansion Program focusing on business needs and growth opportunities. Stevenson says this is essential to tackling the workforce development and talent recruitment issues facing the state of Maine.

Downtown Westbrook, situated on the Presumpscot River and Saccarappa Falls, offers great walkability with a pedestrian bridge, the River Walk and convenient, free parking. The City recently implemented a Downtown Parking Management Plan to better serve the community and visitors. Metro has broadened service in Westbrook offering user-friendly transportation options with expanded routes.

The area has recently seen an influx of new restaurants and breweries, and while many new visitors came to downtown Westbrook to see the giant ice disk that formed in January of 2019, we invite you back in warmer weather. Many restaurants are now offering outdoor food and drink service and there are ramps and floats that allow public access for kayaking and fishing.

In 2018 the city launched a Downtown Façade Improvement Program that facilitated investment in buildings and improved storefronts in the heart of downtown Westbrook. This year, the program was recapitalized and expanded to include the entire Downtown District.

The City is working on a redesign and revitalization of Westbrook Common, a highly visible, centrally located downtown pedestrian mall. The goal is to activate civic space that will become a vibrant destination for community gatherings.

If you haven’t been to Westbrook in a while, it’s time to take another look! Westbrook’s proximity to Portland, the International Jetport, the Maine Turnpike and the Lakes Region makes it a convenient location for businesses to take root with a much lower price tag than Portland.

To learn more about development opportunities and site availability, contact Daniel Stevenson at 207-591-8101 or dstevenson@westbrook.me.us and see how Westbrook works for you!

City of Westbrook

2 York St.,
Westbrook, Maine 04092

Daniel Stevenson, Economic Development Director
dstevenson@westbrook.me.us
Office: 207-591-8101 / Cell: 207-956-3197

www.westbrookmaine.com