Hamilton Marine, is Moving to 195 Presumpscot Street This Fall.  There Are Several Companies in the Building Including the Warehouse for Asia West Furniture.  This company Has Not Moved Out Yet.

Mark’s Sports Bar, Ten Exchange Street. Jonathan Cohen is the Financial Backer While Mark Dean Owns the Business.  It May Open Within Three Weeks. The Bar has 22 tv sets that are 60 inches large. New Chairs are on top of the Bar.

Jonathan Cohen, Developer of WEX Headquarters on Portland Waterfront, Has Applied for Height Increases at 100 Fore Street to the city’s planning board.

Wayne Hamilton, who with his late wife, founded the state’s largest marine discount store, has admitted in several telephone conversations with this blogger that  he’s planning to relocate to 195 Presumpscot Street sometime this fall.

Although the lease has not yet been signed, Hamilton believes it will be signed within the next week or so.  An owner of Maine Yacht Center is the new owner of this over 22,000 sq. building that Hamilton expects to move into.  It’s about 4,000 sq. ft. larger than his current space on the Munjoy HIll waterfront.

Jonathan Cohan, owner of his current Munjoy Hill location at 100 Fore Street, has given Hamilton until October 2018 to vacate the property.  “He’s been trying to get rid of me since January,” said Hamilton, 70, in a previous telephone conversation.  “We’ve decided to move on,” said Hamilton of Jonathan Cohen.  Cohen needs some of that building to provide parking spaces for his nearby WEX headquarters building as part of his development project.  Cohen is going before the planning board July 10 to get approval to increase some of the heights at 100 Fore Street.

Previously, Hamilton had tried to work out an agreement to move to Phineas Sprague, Jr.’s boat yard on West Commercial Street, New Yard.  Sprague was considering constructing a building along the road to accommodate the popular marine store.  It’s something that the two have been discussing for years – seeing the benefits to both companies.  “I can make more money parking Ryder trucks in my boat yard than I can make from a marine supply place here,” said Sprague several months ago.  Hamilton agrees with that assessment.  “I think Phin could have made this work between us, but he chose not to,” said Hamilton.

Eight years ago, Hamilton was interested in getting a zoning change for 170 Anderson Street.  He wanted to purchase the building and use it for his retail sales business.  It did not work out.  Hamilton was been located at 100 Fore Street since 1995.

Prior to that, he and his late wife Loraine, founded their business in the garage of their home in Searsport.  Currently, there are five marine stores located on the Maine coast.

Hamilton has acknowledged that his engineering company has submitted an application to the city’s planning office for the conversion of the Presumpscot Street property to suit his marine needs.  Hamilton hopes to be up and running in his new space by December 2018.

Please see post herein dated June 21, 2018 for more background on tenants fleeing 100 Fore Street.