September, 2002

In September, 2002, economic development interests met at the Scarborough Town Library to discuss their vision of the town’s future economy. The meeting was organized by the Scarborough Chamber of Commerce. Nearly three dozen attendees participated in the discussions. The notes from these discussion are listed below.

What is the future of Corporate Headquarters in Scarborough?
What is the future of Technology and Small Businesses in Scarborough?
What is the future of Tourism in Scarborough?
What is the future of Large Retail operations in Scarborough?
What is the future of Small Retail operations in Scarborough?
What is the future of Warehousing and Transportation in Scarborough?
What is the future of Biomedical and Research Operations in Scarborough?
What is the future of Scarborough Downs?
Other Notes

What is the future of Corporate Headquarters in Scarborough?    [top of page]
Participants were asked to discuss the future of corporate headquarters in Scarborough. What is needed to attract them? Where would they locate?

• Locate in Haigis Parkway
• Create an enterprise business park with high end office space
• Scarborough has everything but is not Portland o close to Pike o close to airport o still rural, and o aesthetically pleasing
• Need to be more aggressive going after new ones like Nike and Cole Hahn
• Is anyone recruiting corporate headquarters to Scarborough?
• This could fit well with biomedical businesses
• Already have many one (1) person headquarters in homes throughout town
• Parking is a big concern
• Town cannot offer much right now, no sewer
• This would provide us with great visibility on corporate letterhead, reports, etc
• We have the ideal location
• Haigis Parkway, Scarborough Downs area

What is the future of Technology and Small Businesses in Scarborough?    [top of page]
Participants were asked to discuss the future of technology and small businesses are in Scarborough.

• Dunstan is good place for this because it still has some empty space
• Question is where you can find empty space with parking
• Scarborough Route 1 should become more like Kittery/Freeport with facades, etc
• We don’t want people to drive through Scarborough to other towns, we need to capture these people and make them stop and spend
• A new building on Commerce Drive and Route 1 could have high rental, large square feet, a high end restaurant, medical offices
• Need a map of the businesses in town
• We have easy transportation access to 95 and airport
• We need to be proactive to attract this type of business
• Scarborough isn’t thought about as potential site
• We’ve sent the wrong message – we don’t want you here – in recent debates (People’s)
• We are south of Portland and travelers can avoid Portland
• Would be invisible because access to Payne Road and Haigis doesn’t impact other traffic
• Should be located on the South Portland end of Scarborough

What is the future of Tourism in Scarborough?    [top of page]
Participants were asked to discuss the future of Tourism in Scarborough.

• Not readily identified in town
• Not a resort town, except for the Black Point Inn
• Have beaches, marsh, grand beach, Route 1 motels, seasonal cottages
• Large resort hotel (new) good for town (on Haigis parkway)
• Under-publicized (not aware of this-it is off the radar screen)
• Tremendous opportunity
• Unaware of it being part of the business community
• Located in a few areas
• Beech Ridge draws surprising crowds
• Where and What? o no big resort o family oriented destination o should be near the water o tons of beach, no beach development
• “Dumpy” Route 1
• Hotel and restaurants close together
• In 15 years, should have an upscale beachside community

What is the future of Large Retail operations in Scarborough?    [top of page]
Participants were asked to discuss the future of large retail operations in Scarborough.

• Walmart, Sam’s Club, Christmas Tree Shop, two supermarkets
• Need outlets
• Where should they happen? Haigis Parkway, Payne Road
• Payne Road and Turnpike access
• Avoid Route 1 (only for locals)
• Mussey and Outer Broadway
• Look at the Haigis area and the Scarborough Downs area

What is the future of Small Retail operations in Scarborough?    [top of page]
Participants were asked to discuss the future of small retail operations in Scarborough.

• Outlet Center in a small village concept with small boutiques mixed in
• When these stores are dispersed they are hard to locate
• Route 1 strip malls are hard to access and there is too much traffic
• Create something like Falmouth Village with eye appeal
• Extend from Dunstan up to Oak Hill
• Waldron, big 20 sites
• Careful of marsh and other fragile habitats
• North of Haigis, south of Oak Hill
• Should be more centralized

What is the future of Warehousing and Transportation in Scarborough?    [top of page]
Participants were asked to discuss the future of warehousing and transportation in Scarborough.

• Need public transportation
• Fill empty buildings in the industrial park
• Access from Pleasant Hill Road to 295
• Plan carefully for any new trucking company
• Right turn from Pleasant Hill Road to Route 1 is difficult
• Reduce bypasses, there are too many now
• Should be away from Route 1

What is the future of Biomedical and Research Operations in Scarborough?    [top of page]
Participants were asked to discuss the future of biomedical and research operations in Scarborough.

• Need more office space for scientists
• Incubators or core research to help build new businesses
• Cluster
• USM bioscience institute work with private companies on technology transfer
• Many small companies, need to get them together
• Need map of all businesses
• Haigis Parkway
• Enterprise center
• Scarborough Downs
• Clean- low truck traffic
• Desirable
• Easy access
• Entrepreneurs- foster location
• Need new facilities- industrial park buildings are old
• Haigis Parkway is the perfect location

What is the future of Scarborough Downs?    [top of page]
Participants were asked to discuss the future of Scarborough Downs.

• No casino
• Nike
• Major hotel chain
• Need location for major conference center to attract national meetings
• Build small retail around all of this
• Need to bring large development but need to mix in support services (dry cleaners, atm, food)
• Payne Road- storefront behind corporate headquarters
• If made it entertainment draw (no casino) could attract from highway

Other Notes    [top of page]

• Route 1
  • Slow down the traffic
  • Stop people from driving through and capture them in our businesses
  • Support local businesses like Falmouth
  • Improve the curb appeal and aesthetics
  • Landscape the center strip
  • Common signage and theme
• Payne Road
  • Flow through traffic
  • Regional big box stores
• Biomedical
  • Yale MIT model
  • Attract research NIH money
  • Does not need clustering
  • Haigis could offer high end professional space
  • Proactively connect venture capitalists
• Warehousing
  • “Keep it hidden”
  • Off Route 1 behind trees
  • Re-use the facilities that have been left open
• Corporate Headquarters
  • Need active recruitment
  • Need to offer setbacks and sewer and utilities to Haigis
  • Be more proactive
• Scarborough Downs
  • No casino
  • Resort/convention center
    • Utilities
    • golf course like Sable Oaks
    • bus to Portland
    • challenging prospect with the four seasons (versus one season in Florida)
  • Mixed use development with Big Box, office, service, etc
• Other Issues
  • Public transportation along Route 1 corridor
  • Housing (private workers, affordable, town workers)
  • Proactive development
  • Change is traumatic to residents, must make case for the tax benefits (25%)
  • Stop the sprawl and the costs associated with sprawl