True to its president’s word, a statewide association for real estate agents and developers is broadening the focus of its annual conference to showcase Lewiston and Auburn.

The Maine Real Estate and Developers Association took a few lumps last January for the exclusive southern Maine/Portland focus of its annual meeting. The format forecast development in industrial, commercial and residential sectors, but anything north of Yarmouth barely earned a mention.

That will change for the January 2007 conference, at which Paul Badeau, marketing director for the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, will make a presentation. A later, separate session will summarize development in the Bangor area as well.

James Whelan, president of the Maine Real Estate and Developers Association, said that during a review of the 2006 conference, organizers realized the Portland focus didn’t reflect what was going on in the rest of the state, especially L-A and Bangor.

“Next year’s agenda will feature two additional slots: one is an (overview) for the greater L-A area and the other, for Bangor,” Whelan said at the time.

He said the Portland focus wasn’t an intentional slight, but more a reflection of the presenters’ data and familiarity with the metro market.

“We’re making a concerted effort to get the information and present other markets,” he said.

Daren Hebold, associate broker at Ram Harnden Commercial Real Estate in Portland, is helping with that.

A member of the MEREDA conference committee, he’s compiling a comprehensive L-A commercial real-estate market data report that will cover 2006 vacancy rates and notable transactions and events in the office, industrial and mill space sectors. He expects to complete the report in December.

“We get very accurate vacancy numbers,” said Hebold, commenting on his firm’s methodology. “It helps the developer decide whether to put up a new building in a market, and it helps the tenant’s negotiating power with the landlord.”

Hebold hasn’t finished the report, but said it appears industrial development in the Lewiston-Auburn is exceptionally strong.

“It’s the most dominant and healthiest sector,” he said. “There’s a super confluence of factors” such as industrial parks, Turnpike and railroad access and the growth council’s marketing campaign.

Ram Harnden has published comparable annual data for the Portland market since 1994.

The information will be presented at the MEREDA conference, set for Jan. 25 at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland. Badeau’s greater Androscoggin market forecast is scheduled for 11:35 a.m. More information about the conference is available at www.mereda.org.

– Carol Coultas