LEWISTON – As the comptroller of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, Jeffrey Lapointe knows property.
So when he and his wife, Elizabeth, decided to move to Maine and try their hand as entrepreneurs, real estate management was a good fit.
As was Lewiston, where they found more than 6,000 square feet of office space to launch their business, Executive Office Suites. The business offers offices, conference rooms, mail services, phone, faxes and other amenities to professionals who need temporary or flexible office space.
“We looked in Portland for a long time (for similar space),” said Jeffrey Lapointe. “Then we decided to look elsewhere for better deals.”
They found it on the third floor of 95 Park St., former home to the Hornblower and Lynch law offices. The five-story building was divided into condos a few years ago. Five County Credit Union owns the first two floors.
The offices are in good shape, getting a little sprucing up with new carpeting and fresh paint. The rooms are spacious, many filled with natural sunlight from oversized windows.
The basic structure of the building is solid, said Lapointe, and reminds him of a similar 1950s office building on Wall Street where he worked as an accountant right after college.
“This is a building with a lot of life in it,” he said, noting the expansive views of the downtown.
There are about 20 offices on the floor, some of which will be combined into suites and others that will remain stand-alones. Lapointe said he may have some permanent, dedicated-space tenants, but he expects the most will be those who need flexible or temporary office space.
He envisions tenants who need a conference room for regular meetings, as well as professionals who routinely come to the area to conduct business and need a base of operations.
He said he hopes to have the suites available for lease by April. He intends to offer three packages, beginning with the fewest services at $100 per month to the most extensive at $300 per month.
“This is very affordable compared to the Portland market,” said Lapointe, an advantage that Lewiston will continue to benefit from.
“That’s what will drive this place,” he said.
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