What does Biddeford need? (Portland, Saco: rent, loft, houses)

[krm9315]

I was thinking about relocating to Biddeford and was wondering what would be a good small business to open?

What kind of small business' would thrive in Biddeford?

[lookinforahome]

I'm assuming you want to relocate to the downtown area? I've always thought a nice coffee shop/bakery would do nicely. There's a fairly large vacant storefront on the corner of Elm and Main I believe that I think would make a nice ethnic grocery store. The mills of course have plenty of oppurtunities. Good luck!

[lrfox]

^I think pubs are a good start. The key is doing stuff that will make people go there (which is why suburban development around these little cities is SOOO bad) I think encouraging artists to take up residence in some of the cheap, vacant storefronts along Main St. would (quite literally) add some color to the bleak streetscape and draw in some people while also filling up empty space.

It's a shame that office vacancy rates are so high in Maine because if they weren't, converting some of the mill space to office would draw in people who would increase the demand for restaurants downtown. Same goes with converting the mills into housing. The markets are down and demand for loft living in Maine seems to be low... otherwise it would be a great idea.

One thing I've seen other mill towns in New England do to revitalize downtown areas is encourage local universities, colleges, and community colleges to open up classroom space in some of the older buildings in the downtown areas (I've seen work it in New Bedford MA, Fall River MA and Lowell MA among others) . While USM (via "University College") has a small foothold on Saco Island, SMCC, USM, and UNE could expand more into the mill buildings. Revitalizing these mills is a bit cheaper than building brand new structures, but it also brings people to the area. If there are enough classroom spaces, demand for student housing in the area will go up and students living in the area increase the demand for sandwich shops, cafes, bookstores, and all of the specialty shops that come with having an educated presence in the area.

I would also like to see some cafes and restaurants take advantage of the sidewalk space downtown and have some al fresco dining (weather permitting). Also, some al fresco dining that takes advantage of the river frontage would be even more of a plus.

Finally, why not use some of the vacant space in the mills for something young people will use immediately. Where I am from in MA, some of the older mills housed things like indoor batting cages, skate parks, and even one houses a large indoor laser tag park/arcade/indoor mini golf course (complete with a galactic bowling style theme at night). These things would see plenty of use and take up space in the mills. Another good use of this type of space I saw was "band space." rent out small portions to local bands who want an area to play and hang out without getting nagged by parents to "keep it down". In high school a few friends had one of these that they purchased for $200-300/ month (split between 4 band members) and we used to go hang out there and listen to them jam and walk around and see other bands do the same. It was a great place to chill and drink....errrr...sodas and just relax with some buddies. I could see something like this working well in Biddeford.

[lookinforahome]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I would also like to see some cafes and restaurants take advantage of the sidewalk space downtown and have some al fresco dining (weather permitting). Also, some al fresco dining that takes advantage of the river frontage would be even more of a plus.

Great idea!

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by krm9315

I was thinking about relocating to Biddeford and was wondering what would be a good small business to open?

What kind of small business' would thrive in Biddeford?

Outside of a Brothel/fitness center,

how bout approaching the city library, on opening up an internet cafe,,,(coffee/pastry/appetizers)
you have established customer count, it's already built, and the "customers" would be happy you are there!!
im sure many libraries may be suffering because of the internet, so they may welcome this

come up with a snappy name,,,cafe' de Books, or Books n' Bagels

i believe some ambitious person could do this with many of the town/city libraries (i want 20%!!!)

[krm9315]

Thanks for all the ideas, great input. Keep them coming.

Do you think a traditional southern stylebarbque restaurant would be good?

[lrfox]

^I think it would be fantastic... If you could have some outdoor seating in the late spring, summer, and early fall with an outdoor BBQ pit, I think you'd do even better. There is a severe lack of Quality BBQ not just in Maine, but all over New England. The unique characteristics of some of the structures, including the mills, would present the opportunity for something really one-of-a-kind and dramatic (if that's what you're looking for). I bet you could find ample space at a reasonable price and given the state of businesses there, permitting could even be expedited (not sure about the liquor license process though). You'd face little opposition and probably be quickly embraced by the community.

Just out of curiosity, are you a potential entrepreneur or just someone who's curious about the state of the area? Have you been to Biddeford before?

[krm9315]

Yes, I am a potential enterpreneur. My boyfriend and I are from the south and are wanting to move to Maine. We have our minds set on Biddeford because of its economic potential.

[lrfox]

If you're looking to move to Maine, Biddeford does have a good amount of potential. It's also on the ocean, so you have that as an added plus when it comes to residing here. I wouldn't discount Portland either as it is already established and still relatively inexpensive (when compared to the rest of New England anyway). If you want a safer bet, it may be Portland for only a little more money, but Biddeford has a great amount of potential in my opinion. I'm not from Biddeford and have no real ties, so that opinion isn't based on nostalgia for my area or the love of my hometown.