By Carol McCracken  (Post # 2, 203)

By the end of this year, Oxbow Brewing Co., will  bring its Farmhouse brewery, currently based in rural Newcastle, to 49 Washington Avenue on the east end of Portland according to sources close to the business.  The three-year old brewery will be part of the 75 Washington Avenue complex that houses a number of other businesses. The 10,000 sq. ft. site will house the bottling and distribution side of the business.  A tasting room with retail space is also planned for the site.  Cheers!

Also relocating to the former Nissen Bakery Building is the Mitchell Institute. It is currently occupies space in Monument Square, but will be moving in mid-December according to Jed Harris, the owner of 75 Washington Avenue.  This is a Foundation begun by former Senator George J. Mitchell, a Maine native. and prominent figure in national politics partly because of his negotiating skills and honorable reputation as a statesman.  The Institute is best known for “The Mitchell Scholarship” program.  Every year it awards a scholarship to a graduating senior from every public high school in Maine.

A fine dining restaurant that will seat around 100 guests is under contract to fill about 100,000 sq. ft. of space at the former Nissen Bakery Building according to Harris, the buiding owner.  He could not give out details because the lease has not yet been finalized.  Harris purchased the property from Art Girard in April of this year.

For history buffs of the area, the Nissen Bakery, Washington Avenue, has an interesting legacy that is worth googling if you are interested in knowing more about it.