Deering Block

265 Main St had been vacant for decades and was most recently used as a warehouse, and art storage facility.

The owners bought the building in 2010 and had the vision of using historic tax credits to remodel the building and turn it into a mixed-use building consisting of commercial retail space on the first floor, artist studio spaces on the second floor and apartments on the third floor.  Among the many challenges was overcoming the skepticism that Biddeford could support such a development.

The architectural goal of the project was to integrate the history of the original building into a fully modern renovation. Walking through the halls a visitor will see the old brick exposed with generations of multi colored paint and graffiti juxtaposed with clean white plaster. Original windows were kept and the old beams removed for new staircases were milled and turned into beautiful cabinets in the apartments.

The building now houses 4 businesses, a handful or artists, a community art program named Engine, and high-end apartments. It has brought a lot of life to the downtown and received statewide attention.