SOUTH PORTLAND — Those who need a quick check-up or a caffeine boost will soon have to look no farther than 230 Waterman Drive.

After sitting vacant for nearly six months, the 5,200-square-foot building that housed Wendy’s and Tim Hortons fast-food restaurants in a prominent corner of the Mill Creek Shopping Center is being converted into a Starbucks and an American Family Care urgent care office.

According to a news release from AFC, the walk-in clinic is expected to open this spring.

Dan Catlin, who is handling the project for Portland-based Commercial Properties, said a complete remodeling of the building’s interior has begun, but Starbucks doesn’t expect to open until early August.

Catlin said no one from the Seattle-based coffee company was willing to discuss the new location at this time.

Starbucks operates four stores in South Portland, all in the west end near the Maine Mall. This one, near the busy intersection of Broadway, Waterman Drive and the Casco Bay Bridge approach, will be the first one easily accessible to commuters approaching Portland from the city’s east side and Cape Elizabeth.

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Steven Puleo, the city’s community planner, said neither company has been issued a building permit as of Jan. 26

The building previously included two drive-throughs, but will be reduced to one.

Tim Hortons moved out of the space in 2015, when Wendy’s expanded its dining room space and occupied the entire building. It abruptly closed last August.

American Family Care – which provides urgent care, family care, vaccinations, X-rays, routine check-ups and physicals – will be owned and operated by Dr. Andre Couture of Cumberland and Lee Moehlenkamp of Falmouth.

Couture, an emergency medicine physician, will serve as medical director and Moehlenkamp will be managing director. AFC South Portland will be the second center operated by Moehlenkamp; the first opened seven years ago in Braintree, Massachusetts.

Alabama-based AFC has nearly 200 centers across the U.S., and this will be the first of several in Maine, according to the company.

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Moehlenkamp said Monday that she’s excited to bring “affordable, quality, convenient” care to the area.

“We’re located right where people go every day,” she said. “They’re familiar with the area and comfortable with it. … It’s important for people to understand we’re offering a service that’s really patient-focused and aims to deliver exceptional care.”

She said the center expects its clientele to primarily be families with young children, as well as college students and young professionals, noting that AFC can help pair patients with primary-care physicians.

“We don’t operate like a stand-alone. We will have relations with primary care to get patients hooked up,” Moehlenkamp said. The center is expected to eventually be staffed by four or five doctors, supported by X-ray technicians and medical assistants.

Moehlenkamp said she couldn’t comment on behalf of Starbucks, but said it will be a “great fit” as AFC’s neighbor.

“There’s a nice energy between the two brands,” she said. “… We hope to add value to the community.”

Jocelyn Van Saun can be reached at 781-3661, ext. 183 or jvansaun@theforecaster.net. Follow her on Twitter @JocelynVanSaun.

Starbucks coffee and American Family Care, which provides urgent care, have plans to share the building that housed Tim Hortons and Wendy’s at 230 Waterman Drive in South Portland.

American Family Care at 230 Waterman Drive will offer walk-in medical services and resemble the company’s various other locations nationwide.


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