Tim Soley News Today

Plus, Chocolats Passion moving to Spring Street; brewery comes to East Bayside; Old Port bar named one of country's best; and places serving Thanksgiving dinners around Maine.

Plus, Chocolats Passion moving to Spring Street; brewery comes to East Bayside; Old Port bar named one of country's best; and places serving Thanksgiving dinners around Maine.

“Portland’s Old Port is not only inviting, but vibrant and full of energy, and embodies the essence of our brand,” said a store co-owner. 

Szanton Co. plans a 72-unit mixed-income conversion of a 19th-century mill in Lewiston; Gorham launches a facade-improvement program; the Old Port welcomes a boutique with New Hampshire roots.

Construction at the 42,000-square-foot office space has already been underway, thanks to a lease deal that held the space for the lab until the sale could be finalized.

Plans call for the addition of retail space and a new eatery at Canal Plaza, where there's little pedestrian traffic despite a prime location on the edge of the Old Port.

Tim Soley wants city planners to double the heights allowed for new building projects in the Old Port that create and preserve publicly accessible open space.

Developer Tim Soley plans to refurbish the underutilized open space as part of a move to attract retail tenants and more foot traffic.

Clothing chain Madewell plans a Maine debut in the coming weeks. Other Portland businesses are cautiously optimistic about what that could mean.

Madewell cited Portland's "exciting growth” as a reason for opening its first Maine store in the Old Port. The NYC-based clothing retailer hopes to open in time for the holiday shopping season.