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Economic Development

  • Recruitment a top priority for Associated General Contractors of Maine

    James McCarthy February 8, 2016

    Matthew Marks, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of Maine, says the state's 4,700 construction firms lost 10,000 jobs since 2006, when 32,000 workers were employed in that pre-recession, peak construction year.

    James McCarthy February 8, 2016

  • Condo developer proposes six-story India Street development

    February 3, 2016

    The India Street neighborhood could be the home to a new six-story residential building, based on plans a local developer has submitted to Portland city officials.

    February 3, 2016

  • Improved market enhances Yarmouth’s Main Street

    February 3, 2016

    Handy's Market and Café owner Sean Ireland has completed construction of a new carriage house — Wi-Fi, cafe-style seating on the first floor, and an upstairs “community board room” — behind the business, The Forecaster reported.

    February 3, 2016

  • Maine’s unemployment rate at its lowest since 2001

    January 27, 2016

    Maine's unemployment numbers are at their lowest point since 2001 as the jobless rate hit 4.0% in December, due in part to a smaller number of people working or looking for work.

    January 27, 2016

  • Waterville Planning Board removes longtime chairman

    January 26, 2016

    The Waterville Planning Board voted to remove Chairman David Geller on Monday night with a 5-2 vote, leading to the election of Nick Champagne, a civil engineer who was attending the meeting for the first time as a board member.

    January 26, 2016

  • Bucksport looks to residents for economic development ideas

    January 25, 2016

    The town of Bucksport has begun a broad-based process to develop strategies for future development with help from two grants totaling $39K.

    January 25, 2016

  • Historic Richmond building rehab aims for modern uses

    January 25, 2016

    Renovations of the 14,000-square-foot Hathorn Block, located on the corner of Main and Front streets in Richmond, are aimed for up-to-date use as a mix of commercial and residential spaces.

    January 25, 2016

  • Lowe's seeking tax abatements for six Maine locations

    January 22, 2016

    Maine could soon be joining New Jersey and Indiana as states that have granted Lowe's property tax abatements after the North Carolina-based home improvement chain applied for the tax abatement for six of their Maine locations.

    January 22, 2016

  • U.S. R&D grows more than GDP

    Lori Valigra January 22, 2016

    Research and development expenditures in the United States totaled $456.1 billion in 2013, according to new data from the National Science Foundation, which at 3.2% is a higher growth rate than the 2.2% for the U.S. gross domestic product.

    Lori Valigra January 22, 2016

  • Hoteliers brace for impact of Airbnb

    Lori Valigra January 22, 2016

    There's a bit more pessimism in the air nationally about lodging this year as Airbnb's growth is exploding.

    Lori Valigra January 22, 2016

  • Warehouse shortage fueled by nontraditional uses

    Peter Van Allen January 22, 2016

    Beer brewers, coffee roasters and medical marijuana companies are taking over more warehouse space in Portland, driving demand and the price per square foot.

    Peter Van Allen January 22, 2016

  • Technology-to-mill-town trend continues

    January 15, 2016

    The trend toward revitalization of Maine's traditional mill towns has received big boosts lately, as technology firms find their way to these historic areas, arrivals that tie in with city and community organization goals for economic development.

    January 15, 2016

  • Minimum wage ballot initiative in the works

    January 15, 2016

    A coalition of three of the largest labor and worker's rights organizations in the state — the Maine AFL-CIO, The Maine People's Alliance and the Maine Small Business Coalition — collected nearly 75,000 signatures to secure a spot in November's

    January 15, 2016

  • Investment in Maine companies rises sharply

    Lori Valigra January 15, 2016

    The amount of money raised by Maine companies rose almost fivefold from 2014 to 2015, though the number of total deals remained the same, indicating a rise in the average amount raised per deal.

    Lori Valigra January 15, 2016

  • Bill would boost FAME's large business investments

    James McCarthy January 14, 2016

    A bill to create a capital investment fund to attract large economic investments to Maine received initial support from the Finance Authority of Maine and several other speakers during a public hearing Tuesday before the Legislature's Labor,

    James McCarthy January 14, 2016

  • Revitalization of Norway's Main Street held up

    January 11, 2016

    The nonprofit Norway Downtown wants to revitalize the Odd Fellows Building, but its efforts are stymied by the lack of communication from its owner, the Norway Advertiser Democrat reported.

    January 11, 2016

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Today's Poll

Do you support an increase in Portland's minimum wage?
Poll Description

The Portland City Council is weighing a controversial proposed hike to the city’s minimum wage.

The proposal would increase the minimum wage from $15.50 per hour to $20 per hour within four years. (The statewide hourly minimum wage is $14.65.)

The proposal does not include a wage hike for tipped workers who are currently paid an hourly wage of $7.75, but employers are required to ensure that wages and tips combined total $15.50 per hour. 

While inflation pressures have made it hard to survive on the minimum wage, many business owners are concerned the hike would cut already thin margins. 

More Information