Insider Notebook: MEREDA 'spring' conference is now Oct. 15
Courtesy / Office of U.S. Sen. Angus King
U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, is a member of the Senate's Armed Services Committee.
The Maine Real Estate and Development Association spring conference, originally planned for May, will be held Oct. 15 with a virtual format.
"The Chamberlain Model: Back to the Future" will be from 8 a.m. to noon, MEREDA announced this week, with registration opening soon.
"Maine’s favorite son, Joshua Chamberlain, laid the groundwork for Maine’s future in a speech given in 1876 to celebrate America’s Centennial," the description says. "His vision resonates in today's pandemic economy and provides stepping stones for all of us as we work to create Maine’s future."
Featured speakers include U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine; University of Southern Maine President Glenn Cummings; and historian Earle G. Shettleworth.
Charles Colgan, former Maine state economist and creator of the MEREDA Index, will provide an update the components of the index, and Kim Hamilton, CEO of FocusMaine, will set the stage for a moderated discussion about Maine’s future.
Panelists include Scott Wellman, chief financial officer of Puritan Medical Products; Amber Lambke, founder and CEO of Maine Grains; Seth Webber, principal at Berry Dunn; and a fourth panelist to be determined. The panel will be moderated by Andrea Cianchette Maker, of Pierce Atwood, who is MEREDA's public policy counsel.
Ticket prices are $45 for members, $75 for nonmembers. Application may also be made for three hours of continuing education credits, with details coming.
Avesta, Coastal Opportunities compete for Thomaston site
Thomaston voters on Sept. 15 will decide between two developers vying for a site on the Thomaston Green.
Nonprofit housing developer Avesta is proposing a 48-unit senior housing building for the site; Coastal Opportunities is looking to move to a new building on the site from Main Street.
Avesta's development would be on 2.2 acres and have 600-square-foot apartments and other amenities. Archetype Architects would design it.
The Coastal Opportunities building includes two floors with a porch and barn and would replace the current housing for its residents. It would have six bedrooms, as well as a kitchen, offices and an activities room. Coastal Opportunities CEO Cliff Winn said the current space isn't adequate for the needs of their six residents as they age in place, according to Knox County Village Soup.
Architect Gerald Weinand said the company is exploring solar energy options and geothermal energy options.
The developers both answered a request for proposals issued by the town to develop part of the green, the site of the former state prison, which was torn down in 2003.
Gardiner Water Street businesses open
Pandemic or no pandemic, the development momentum that downtown Gardiner has built over the last couple of years is still rolling. Several Water Street storefronts are seeing new life in recent weeks.
Lisa's Legit Burritos has moved down the street to 304 Water St., where the new location "has more of a restaurant feel" and expanded seating inside and out. Ruby's Place, which will serve baked, breakfast items and lunch, is now at 242 Water St., the former Lisa's location.
The Hair Lab also has opened at 343 Water St.; Alan Claude Studio is slated to open soon at 165 Water St., and work has started on Ciccarelli's Gelateria, at 245 Water St.
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