Official groundbreaking for a 438,000-square-foot retail, commercial and office space project – anchored by the state’s first Cabela’s – is expected next month, according to the developer.

Gateway at Scarborough won its final approval Monday night from the Scarborough Planning Board. Developer Gene Beaudoin of New England Expeditions said after the meeting that a grand opening for the Cabela’s store could be in May 2008.

“We’re thrilled,” Beaudoin said after the meeting, during which he thanked the board members for the “umpteen hours” of work they put into the project.

Nebraska-based Cabela’s, which is building a 130,000-square-foot store, calls itself the World’s Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear. That store alone is expected to attract more than 3 million visitors a year to Scarborough, according to New England Expeditions, which also estimated that the project as a whole is expected to generate more than $100 million a year in retail sales and create about 800 new jobs. The development is located on Haigis Parkway at exit 42 off of the Maine Turnpike.

The development has already received approvals from the Maine Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Turnpike Authority. At the meeting on Monday, the applicant had yet to receive a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but a letter was sent to the council from Jay Clement, permit project manager for the corps, which said a permit was expected to be issued.

The project itself will cost the developer $74 million, but over 10 years will get $8.25 million back from the town thanks to the tax financing district, or TIF, that was created for Haigis Parkway by the town in 2003. The purpose of the TIF is to help pay infrastructure improvements around the development that will be necessary to complete the project.

Another landmark in the process of the development gaining final approval was a high-profile debate between the state and Cabela’s over taxation. Cabela’s requested a ruling from Maine Revenue Services that would have allowed the store to exempt its Maine customers from the 5 percent sales tax on catalog and Internet sales, arguing that Cabela’s is three separate companies – Internet, catalog and the retail store. Because the Internet and catalog companies are not based in Maine, Cabela’s claimed that the tax should be exempt. After months of waiting to hear from the state, Cabela’s withdrew its request.

Despite some speed bumps along the way, both the town and the developer were all smiles Monday night, agreeing that the final product would prove invaluable for both.

“This project has been handled very well,” said board member Allen Paul. Paul, who stepped in for the absent Susan Auglis as chairman for the meeting, added, “It’s been a very, very pleasant experience.”

John Chamberlain congratulated Beaudoin on “being the first risk taker on Haigis Parkway. I hope others will follow suit,” he said.

“It’s been a battle, but we’ve had some fun with this,” said board member Bud Hanson.

“My only comment is,” he said, “welcome to Scarborough.”

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