BANGOR, Maine — After multiple stores closed their doors in downtown Bangor, the area's economy will soon see a shift as new businesses head to replace empty storefronts.
Downtown Bangor Partnership Executive Director Betsy Lundy said although the shift is sudden, it's understandable after many business owners went through the stress of running a business during the pandemic.
"I think a lot of the businesses did well and survived, but I think it was an exhausting process for them," Lundy said.
Within the past six months, downtown staples such as Epic Sports, Valentine Footwear, and Half Acre have all decided to close their doors. The Fiddlehead Restaurant announced in December they have plans to change to new owners.
For the new year, she's already optimistic about the economy of downtown and is looking forward to seeing new businesses replace empty storefronts. Wabanaki Health and Wellness announced last year they have plans to move into the old Epic Sports location in the coming year.
"That brings just a lot of workers to the downtown, those people are going to eat lunch, they're going to pop into a shop on their lunch break," Lundy said.
Lundy said the biggest challenge for the downtown area, which may not come as a surprise, is parking.
"I think there's a lot of car culture, in the city of Bangor," Lundy said.
"Bangor takes in a lot of its business via vehicles," owner of Bangor Wine and Cheese Eric Mihan said. "So it's a lot less foot traffic than people think."
Since opening its doors in 2009, Mihan said the downtown area has certainly seen many changes over the years.
"The nature of transitions is a difficult thing to get used to because you see a lot of your friends and colleges moving on," Mihan said.
He encourages folks looking to see the downtown thrive in 2023 to get involved with subcommittees within the city.
"An hour of your time a month, even, will make Bangor better," Mihan said.