Eastport year round economy (Freeport, Calais: house, high school, prices)

[eporter2be]

Hey, whatever happened to the huge commercial building kinda behind the Waco Diner that the women entrepenuers were going to convert into...art shops and lofts I think? Did that building ever get coverted/rehabbed? And did that new restaurant ever open up next to the pizzeria, in the old A&P space?

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by eporter2be

Hey, whatever happened to the huge commercial building kinda behind the Waco Diner that the women entrepenuers were going to convert into...art shops and lofts I think? Did that building ever get coverted/rehabbed? And did that new restaurant ever open up next to the pizzeria, in the old A&P space?

There is an art shop next to the Waco. I've bought some nice stuff there. I'd heard that the old A&P is still empty.

[mollysmiles]

Yes, the building next to the WACO has been rehabbed and is now "The Commons". Very nice place!

And I don't know if you mean the old A&P, or the old, old A&P, but they've both been rehabbed. The old, old A&P, across from the WACO, is home to The Pickled Herring.

and eporter2be, please keep in mind that there is one particular poster on here who in my memory has never had anything good or decent to say about anywhere in Washington County....I'm not sure that I'd be giving those particular opinions much worth-- they're rather tainted with some type of bitterness.

[eporter2be]

The Pickled Herring is the place I was speaking of..glad to hear it has opened. The factory building is the can factory at 15 Sea Street -- did the women who did The Commons ever start the project to convert the former can factory? Sounds like a lot of good things have been happening in Eastport. Now if the ex-hardware store was occupied, downtown would look really good. Can't believe that Irving Oil decided not to rebuild its conveniece store/gas station.

[MaineMathTCHER]

Please realize that not all posters (as Molly says) hold the opinion of the rest of us. Eastport is wonderful-my true north. There are many places there I would love to buy and restore. There are also many wonderful places on the water in Pembroke and Perry (we have one in each town and on teachers salaries-where else could we have waterfront/nearby)? It is an amazing place-if you are ready for the change full hearted!

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by eporter2be

Can't believe that Irving Oil decided not to rebuild its conveniece store/gas station.

I think this is a business opportunity waiting to happen. We stopped at that store when we were in Eastport and miss it a lot. If someone bought the property (I don't know that it's even for sale) and opened a nice store they'd do well. Irving has the store 10 miles from me for sale. They're interested in getting out of the convenience store business.

[mollysmiles]

eporter, you've lost me I'm afraid! The building that the Pickled Herring is in was a hardware store when I was growing up, not Wadsworth, but another store. Wadsworth has been in their building since they lost their original building in the Groundhog's Day Gale, in 1976. That entire wharf went into the water Anyway, when my Mom was growing up the building where the Pickled Herring is now was the A&P. I remember the A&P being in the building across from the Post Office--which has also been renovated. When you say the old hardware store I'm not sure which one you mean, but it may have been before my time

[willb]

The most recent A&P is half occupied by the tidal power people. The Pickled Herring has had a few shake down dinners, and should open regularly next week, after the incredible renovation project. My daughter has a job there. Wadsworth's is my nominee for the best hardware store in th US, but everyone has their favorite. The Commons ladies just had a public walk through of the Sea Street project last month and I noticed a large construction trailer there last week. A wonderful couple from Iowa bought the Shag building which means the whole block has been bought up in the last 3 years. The Berman Mall is still vacant because the idiot who bought it 2 years ago for 120K hopes to double his money, and won't do anything to it while it's for sale. Marty and Garfield's building Is slowly progressing, but everything else in town is open for business, and anyone who says otherwise is telling a falsehood. Everyone complains about taxes, but we pay half of what we paid in NC for property tax, 20% less in sales tax and there was also a sales tax on food in NC. We pay more for heat for sure, but we haven't paid a nickel for Air Conditioning in 5 years which used to cost us more than heat does here.

[eporter2be]

When I said the hardware store, I meant the Berman's storefront. I see the building across from the fisherman statute, the one with the small deck onthe second floor, is for sale again. It sold 2 years ago, I think? I'd love to buy the building those houses the Moose Island general store since the top 2 floors were (are?) vacant. Looked at the Shag lbuilding ast year but the foundation repairs scared me off. A used book store with a coffee shop woulda been a nice use for the space imo. No Starbucks, just a coffee shop to hang out, read and maybe buy books. Sigh...dreammmm, dreamm, dream dream dream. 1 day perhaps. Got that Eastport bug real bad.

[mensaguy]

I agree with willb that Wadsworth's is one incredibly good hardware store. Those people seem to have one or two of everything and they all know where to find each item. They have also been very good at offering to help somebody even if it was time to close the store. (And, they are all very nice people!)