New dentists for Center Street in Auburn, new construction for Lewiston Industrial Park

First up: The Lewiston Planning Board on Monday unanimously approved a new 30,000-square-foot, $1.5 million commercial building project in one of the last remaining empty lots in the Lewiston Industrial Park.

The new building at 9 Lexington St. by Gendron Corp. will be divided in half to fit two tenants, one side with 26 parking spaces and the other with 25.

In a project memo, consultant Michael Gotto of Stoneybrook Land Use said the tenants are right now unknown but “could operate 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in the future.”

Construction will start soon and tenants are hoped to be in by the fall of 2022, he said.

(FYI for snowmobilers: The project will bring an end to a local pass-through. According to Gotto: “The existing trail as currently traveled will need to be terminated from Alfred A. Plourde Parkway to Lexington Street.”)

And 4 miles away …

Lewiston City Planner Doug Greene said the board also agreed to send the City Council a favorable recommendation on the zoning change request for 143 Lincoln St., the Dominican Block.

Fathom Properties told the city last month that the zoning change was needed to move ahead with its plans to transform the building into new apartment units.

Smile! It’s new neighbors.

Maine Dentistry opened its third location in the state last week at 34 Center St. in Auburn.

Marketing Coordinator Alexander Prevey said Tuesday that Auburn is larger than the offices in Gray and Portland with eight dental rooms, though it will initially be scheduling in just five.

“(It) can seat more patients in an average day than either of our prior locations, while still delivering that personal Maine Dentistry touch our patients have come to expect,” he said.

The practice is open Monday to Thursday serving all-ages and offering cleanings, emergency care and cosmetic dentistry. It has a staff of six and two dentists, Dr. Benjamin Lawlor and Dr. Katie Clark.

The space underwent a $250,000 renovation back in November, according to city permits.

Construction is underway at NextGrid Inc.’s 5.5-megawatt solar array at 265 Merrill Road in Lewiston. The developer, based in both Massachusetts and San Francisco, has more than $23 million in solar projects planned or recently in the ground in Lewiston, Minot and Poland. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

And speaking of permits

Both cities saw a busy July.

There are commercial permits issued in Auburn for $25,000 or more, so see if you can spot a theme:

• A $25,000 project at 726 Poland Road for a 60-by-110-foot grow building foundation for KB-Three Properties, LLC.

• A $40,000 project at 47 Goldthwaite Road for a 60-by-212-foot grow building foundation for Kyle Bouffard.

• A $50,000 renovation at 1150 Center St. changing a pool supply warehouse into a grow building for 1150 Center St. Auburn Maine SH LLC.

• A $350,000 renovation at 89 Union St. for tenant improvements at the former Office Max. According to Noah Stebbins, an associate at The Boulos Co., Staples is moving from its Lewiston location over to that space this fall.

Commercial permits in Lewiston for $25,000 or more:

• A $25,000 renovation at 1027 Sabattus St. with changes to the sales floor, countertop and shelving for Harvest CC, LLC.

• A $26,475 project at 97 Lisbon St. constructing a prep room for Boba Holdings, LLC.

• A $40,000 project replacing stair treads at 26 Chapel St. for Aegean Development.

• A $59,000 project at 380 River Road adding 35,388 square feet to an existing foundation for Gendron Realty LLC.

• A $60,000 project at 828 Lisbon St. with an interior remodel at Dunkin’ adding 350 square feet for Kevin Pachico.

• A $117,875 renovation at 1896 Lisbon St. with a new office build-out for Connor Realty, LLC.

• A $137,711 renovation at 15 Strawberry Ave. creating six new offices and a refresh for Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice.

• A $2.7 million project at 265 Merrill Road installing a 5.5-megawatt solar array for NextGrid, Inc., which has several solar projects in the area.

Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Shanna Cox, center, flanked by Lewiston’s Economic & Community Development Director Lincoln Jeffers, left, and Michael Dostie, president of the Downtown Lewiston Association, stand in front of 120 Lisbon St. in Lewiston earlier this summer. The space is up for grabs rent-free in a new business competition called JumpstartME with applications due by Aug. 15. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal file photo

Get your pitches in!

There’s only a handful of days left to JumpstartME.

The business competition with a $75,000-plus prize package, kicked off in late June by the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Lewiston Association, has a looming Aug. 15 application deadline.

Chamber President Shanna Cox said that as of Tuesday, six businesses had applied already with four of those invited to apply to Phase 2 of the competition and another two invitations likely coming soon.

So far, applications “reflect both veterans in their industries and entrepreneurs with new concepts,” she said. “We are excited by the interest and submissions we have seen to date and strongly encourage folks to submit their Phase 1 application by this Sunday’s deadline.”

She’ll be holding a final session at the chamber on Saturday answering questions and reviewing Phase 1 or 2 applications.

The original prize package — with free rent for a year at 120 Lisbon St., $50,000 in marketing and branding services from Rinck Advertising, $2,500 in accounting services from Austin Associates P.A. and a year’s worth of business legal services from Skelton Taintor & Abbott — grew last week when Platz Associates added architectural services and Dojo Digital added web and email help for a year.

Quick hits about business comings, goings and happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact staff writer Kathryn Skelton at 689-2844 or [email protected]

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