The Portland developer responsible for the recent redevelopment of the old Sebago shoe building on William Clarke Drive has submitted a plan to redevelop the Warren Furniture building on Main Street.
T & T Development has agreed to purchase the building from the current owners, and has submitted plans to the city to convert the building into small retail and office space. The plan was to be presented to the Planning Board at their meeting last night, after the American Journal’s press time.
Joyce Talbot of T & T Development said they expect to close on the sale sometime next month, and added the redevelopment of the building is based on guidance the company has received from the city.
In a July 6 letter to the Planning Board, Talbot outlined the plans for the building, which is a holdover from the days before Urban Renewal.
T & T is proposing to restore the building, which was constructed in 1890, with an addition in 1926, to its original appearance. Plans call for restoring the windows, which have been partially bricked over, to their original size. The brick would be cleaned and repaired to restore the exterior of the building to its original appearance.
Once the building is completed, T & T plans to market the lower floor of the building to small retail businesses that would cater to shoppers on their lunch hour or after work. The upper floors would be converted into Class A office space, Talbot said.
Economic and Community Development Director Erik Carson said he thought the proposal was a good one for the city. “We’re very pleased,” he said.
In her letter, Talbot said she believed the restored building would act as a cornerstone for development at that end of Main Street. “Once a thriving business section of Main Street and home to Warren Furniture for more than 80 years, the area is badly in need of development,” said Talbot. “By restoring the buildings and attracting retailers it could once again be the prosperous retail center it once was.”
While it will be retaining its old appearance, the building will be getting a new name. Talbot said T & T plans to rename the building the “Edwards Block.” She said this name was in honor of Lewis W. Edwards, a Westbrook merchant who built the original building in 1890.
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