Ideas were shared in a brainstorming session for attracting a grocery store to Wiscasset village. The shopping list for success includes the right location, ample parking and a willing investor.

The two-hour discussion was held Tuesday evening and hosted by the Lincoln Country Regional Planning Commission in its new office on Route 1. Mary Ellen Barnes, the commission’s economic and community development director, co-chaired the meeting with Lucia Droby. Droby owns and operates Carriage House Gardens at 62 Pleasant Street, Wiscasset. She also helped organize the village’s very successful Wiscasset Art Walk.

The meeting drew a diverse group of Wiscasset residents including Selectman Judy Flanagan. All were eager to share their opinions and suggestions. 

Barnes began by saying Wiscasset’s downtown offers some remarkable assets with its beautiful waterfront and attractive downtown. The challenges she said will involve developing a business model that will attract enough customers to make a grocery store financially sustainable on a year-round basis.

“Investors will be looking at advantages and disadvantages as far as what the community has to offer,” she said, explaining investors obviously want to know what their rate of return is going to be on their investment. They’ll also want to determine who their clientèle will be and where they’ll come from.

Pendleton’s Village Market operated successfully on the corner of Main and Middle streets for over 50 years before closing. Flanagan said the reason the Pendletons were successful was because they provided the goods and produce that people wanted at affordable prices. The store had an excellent meat department with a butcher on hand and later added a bakery and pharmacy. Even though parking was limited downtown, the store did very well, she added.

This prompted Droby to ask the group what type of store they wanted to see come to Wiscasset. She mentioned having recently visited the Bath Farmer’s Market. “It’s a wonderful environment.” She suggested the group might visit similar businesses for ideas and several area businesses were suggested. Along with a grocery store everyone agreed a pharmacy was needed; a seafood vendor, butcher shop and bakery were also mentioned. Some thought was given to selling organic products or locally raised meats and produce.

One possible location mentioned was a former CEI building on Water Street, also known as the Haggett building. CEI is also marketing two other buildings in the former Port Wiscasset complex that might prove attractive as well. David Pope said several other properties were for sale close to downtown on Route 27 near Churchill Street.

Flanagan said officials from the Maine Department of Transportation would air plans for improving traffic flow through downtown Wiscasset in January. “They have a couple of proposals that might influence your thinking,” she added. “I hope that some of you will be there for that meeting.”

“We’ve done some beautiful brainstorming as far as what would make the Wiscasset store successful and attractive. I feel we now need to do more community work, “ Droby added.

Pat Cloutier said the Wiscasset Area Chamber of Commerce would lend its support to the effort. Les Fossel, who was unable to attend the meeting, has expressed an interest in lending his support and expertise as well.

The group will meet again on Feb. 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission office.