Main Street Business District

   Our biggest super market has finally finished their renovation and held their grand re opening this past weekend. It's a very nice store with a wide range of products many of which were not previously available in greater Damariscotta. Although this is a large chain store owned by a global corporation, the people that work there are all our friends and neighbors and the corporation is to be commended for using their own money and not the taxpayers to improve the infrastructure (road and drainage) around the store.  There are several smaller markets in the area such as Yellow Front Grocery in Damariscotta and Reilly's Market in New Harbor that do a very nice job and are important pieces of the fabric of our community but all in all the new and improved chain store is a net plus for our area.

   More to the point though is that this store really anchors our expanding Main Street Business District. We've gradually seen an expansion of that district which at one time stopped at the intersection of Bristol Road.  Now it continues north to the intersection with Biscay Road where most of the traffic heading to Bremen turns off and it is slowly but surely expanding towards Route 1 at Pine Grove Plaza and Andrews Pine View Restaurant.

   While some of this is driven by new businesses looking for land which simply isn't available downtown, there are also older established businesses like Damariscotta Hardware that expanded and needed more parking. 

   I look at this as the sign of a healthy vital community that is growing in a very positive manner. There are no vacant storefronts downtown and although every year a business or two may leave, they are quickly replaced.  In 2002 Newcastle Square Realty moved from the southern edge of the business district to our present location at 87 Main Street in Damariscotta and experienced an immediate increase in foot traffic.  Folks seem to enjoy perusing our window boards and homes that we present there seem to get a lot of interest. We have a a very healthy and comfortable village district and an equally healthy and expanding outer district.

   Recently Newcastle Square brokered a land sale in the expanding district, a 9+/- acre parcel that sold for $310,000.  We were also involved in the sale of a residence that was converted to an office building and are presently offering another property at the corner of Main Street and Back Meadow Road that has great potential as both a residence or a commercial spot. Further north we have a very nice parcel just off Main Street on Belvedere Road that has the advantage of also having Route 1 frontage.

   The Great Salt Bay Water District has already expanded the water line north to Route 1 and it is to be hoped that the State will resurface the road in the near future (Wouldn't sidewalks be nice?  At least near the school.)

   We are blessed to live in a town and area that is on the way up, creating jobs and commerce yet still retaining the closeness and charm that we all love.

Jim Cosgrove