Why Biddeford?

Downtown

Come to Downtown Biddeford to be a part of the revitalization that ties Biddeford's historic industrious past to its innovative, entrepreneurial future. Businesses of all types are located in the architecturally rich buildings that line the streets of downtown. Downtown Biddeford comprises two distinct areas: Main Street and the Mill District.

Main Street

Almost 600 people go to work everyday in the shops, offices and studios of the Main Street area. A wide range of businesses are found along the blocks immediately surrounding Main Street. 

No matter the season winter, spring, summer or fall, Main Street works. Combined annual revenue of the Main street establishments exceeds $30 million in 2014 as estimated from our informed survey of these businesses.

The Heart of Biddeford is a non-profit organization which undertakes a broad range of activities aimed at marketing and promoting the City's downtown area. The HOB also coordinates events activities. For more information regarding business sites available downtown as well as business assistance available, email Delilah Poupore, Heart of Biddeford Executive Director.

Biddeford is proud to state that it is a "Main Street" community under the auspices of the National Main Street Program and the Maine Downtown Center Program.

Businesses

While downtown is continually renewing itself as start-up businesses open, many of our businesses have been serving Biddeford for generations. The oldest establishment on Main Street is Biddeford Savings Bank, which has been a part of Main Street since 1867. Another long-standing Biddeford business is Reilly's; serving delicious baked goods here since 1910. La Corseterie, purveying fine woman's lingerie has been in operation since 1950.

Main Street turnover of some storefronts is inevitable and Biddeford continues to nurture new enterprises. Biscuits and Company on Alfred Street and Portland Pie's newest location on Main street have opened this year. Next to Portland Pie is Sweetcream Dairy, with imaginative flavors of ice cream.

Arts & Culture

Along with commerce, the arts and culture generate substantial foot traffic on Main Street. City Theater and the McArthur Library have served as beacons of culture in decades pasted while the arts non-profit Engine more recently makes a strong connection between arts driven programming and community development.

Serving as anchors for the arts and culture are two magnificent facilities - City Theater for the Performing Arts and McArthur Library

In addition, the massive mill complex which dominates the cityscape has been transformed into shops and spaces for dozens of creative economy businesses. Learn more about the Mills at Pepperell.

Mill District

Biddeford's Mill District also has much more to offer.

In 2014 the City of Biddeford commissioned Camoin Associates of Saratoga Springs, NY, to develop a feasibility study of the former MERC site at 3 Lincoln Street. Camoin is an economic development consulting firm specializing in community revitalization.

The purpose of the Camoin project was to analyze the real estate and retail market in Biddeford, including demographics, to determine what use for this 8 + acre site made sense. After a thorough process that lasted more than a year, Camoin produced a report entitled "3 Lincoln Street Market Analysis and Redevelopment Feasibility Study."

Working with MRLD Landscape Architects of Yarmouth, Maine, Camoin outlined in the report three possible redevelopment scenarios for 3 Lincoln Street. Read the 3 Lincoln Markey Analysis (PDF).

Industrial Parks

Faced with the decline of the local textile industry in the late 1960s, the City of Biddeford set out to diversify its economic base through the development of City-owned industrial parks.

Using a combination of $2 million in federal (EDA) and local bond issues, the City of Biddeford acquired land and constructed four fully-serviced industrial/business parks between 1970 and 1984. 

By any measure, the parks have been enormously successful in attracting scores of businesses while creating hundreds of jobs and expanding and diversifying the City's tax base.