WATERVILLE — For two years, the site of the former Save A Lot grocery store has stood vacant on The Concourse, after its owners said they couldn’t draw enough business.

But now, downtown Waterville, including that location, is expected to see some business changes in the coming months, in what economic development officials say is a sign the city continues to grow and thrive.

Last week, city officials considered but delayed deciding using up to $150,000 of downtown tax increment financing money to pave the area behind the former Save-A-Lot, where the owners of Uncle Dean’s Natural Market, a popular grocery store, are considering moving.

But that’s not the only change.

Favorites, Pioneer Gaming’s off-track betting parlor at 38 College Ave., plans to move to the former Habitat for Humanity ReStore space at 24 Silver St., which closed about a year ago. It received council approval last week for transferring its food and liquor licenses to that location. Pioneer owner Don Barberino did not respond to a message left for him Wednesday.

That move will open up the betting parlor’s current space for the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen to expand into it. The soup kitchen shares the 5,600-square-foot building with the betting parlor and uses nearly 4,000 square feet, including the basement, according to soup kitchen director Carla Caron. The property is owned by Areti LaCroix who leases the building to the two entities.

The former Cancun Mexican restaurant space on Silver Street downtown also is being groomed for a new restaurant, Charros’ Theater, also a Mexican restaurant. Owner Juan Carlos Sanchez said Wednesday that he is working to get the building up to code and to standards of the city’s fire and code enforcement departments.

“If the plan goes as we are hoping and expecting, we should have an opening date within two months,” Sanchez said. “I would love to open within two months.”

Downtown spaces in demand

These business moves in the works reflect an ongoing demand for businesses and living spaces downtown,  said Garvan Donegan, director of planning, innovation and economic development at the Central Maine Growth Council.

“We continue to see a steady increase in requests from businesses looking to move downtown,” Donegan said. “This trend is also supported by a welcome uptick in mixed-use development projects in and around the downtown area, which we expect will add to residential density.”

That activity, in turn, will drive more foot traffic and boost sales on Main Street, Donegan said.

The Central Maine Growth Council is a public-private regional economic development partnership that’s supported by municipalities and businesses to promote economic prosperity in the region.

“Developments like the beloved original building space at 6-8 Silver St. are in the construction phase, and we’re looking forward to new business tenants at Head of Falls Village and the Lockwood Mill Complex in the future,” he said. 

 The 6-8 Silver St. space Donegan referred to is the site of the former Last Unicorn restaurant, which was destroyed by fire in 2023. Property owner Sidney Geller, who also owns the former Habitat for Humanity building, is constructing a new building at that site. Head of Falls Village is a two-building apartment complex to be built at the corner of Front and Temple streets downtown. The Lockwood Mill on Water Street is undergoing renovations and already has leased out new apartments.

The demand for spaces downtown is high, Donegan said, with move-in-ready inventory on Main Street becoming increasingly sought after.

“Uncle Dean’s, a Waterville staple since 1981, continues to see sustained growth in the community, and we’re very pleased to see their success,” he said. “With regard to a potential expansion and relocation to the downtown district, I can’t share any specific details about their future plans due to ongoing negotiations. However, we’re truly excited about their continued presence in the community.”

Work in progress

Waterville city councilors decided to postpone discussion of paving behind the former Save A Lot until their next meeting Aug. 19 after Acting City Manager Cornell Knight recommended the delay to give Dunham Group more time to iron out details.

The lot being paved is a condition of Uncle Dean’s signing a lease with the Dunham Group for the property.

Uncle Dean’s owner Jim Hoving said last week he wants to wait until a lease is signed before commenting on details about his plans to move the store, now located at 80 Grove St.

A memo accompanying Wednesday’s council agenda from Knight to Mayor Mike Morris and councilors, said Uncle Dean’s will soon sign a lease for The Concourse space. Andy McPherson, Waterville’s city engineer, estimates paving behind the building will cost about $150,000 and could be done in August. The city is responsible for the paving because it owns the land around the buildings.

“This is an exciting project that will be a big boost to the downtown by filling a vacant storefront and providing convenient shopping for the community and especially the downtown residents,” Knight’s memo says.

The city’s vision plan for downtown says a grocery store-market is a top priority for the activation of Main Street and having a grocery store within walking distance could spur further renovation of the upper floors of buildings on Main Street, said Knight, who recommended the council approve the paving.

Knight’s memo says Hoving said he is enthusiastic about the ample parking, the downtown location will double Uncle Dean’s retail space, and new product offerings would be added including new, fresh and farm-sourced “grab and go” food options. Store officials are enthusiastic about being part of and contributing to the revitalization of downtown, according to Knight, and the current number of employees, 20-25, is expected to increase 30% because of the project and associated growth.

Uncle Dean’s also expects to make visual improvements to the store’s facade to include a farm-type design, and expects to celebrate 45 years in business its first year operating on The Concourse.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, Scott Beale, the new Democratic Ward 6 councilor, said he thinks Uncle Dean’s planned move to The Concourse is “a wonderful thing.”

“I’d love to see it happen, so if they need any encouragement from the City Council, you got someone sitting right here,” Beale said.

For the Waterville Area Soup Kitchen, having readily available additional space is a boon.

“It has been a long-term goal for us to obtain a permanent residence for the soup kitchen, and we are working toward making that dream come true,” Caron said. “We will eventually expand, with grant funding. Ideally we are a soup kitchen, but we want to bring services in for our community.”

Caron said she hopes to use part of the expanded space for a clinic that a physician and dentist can use on their own time to offer services to soup kitchen clients.

“We really are excited to expand and hopefully have some community service providers come in and see our folks here because they are comfortable here,” Caron said.

Sanchez, who is developing the restaurant on Silver Street, said the name of the restaurant reflects the fact that many years ago the building housed the State Theater, a movie theater, and ‘Charros’ is a word for Mexican cowboys who were like the first movie stars in that country. He hopes to attract college students for karaoke and trivia nights, he said, and possibly have a deejay Thursday through Saturday nights. He said he wants to make the restaurant a good place to work and ensure that it is a safe environment.