Renovation for Tractor Supply Co. in Lewiston, expansion for UPS in Auburn

A shopper enters Tractor Supply Co. on Thursday in Lewiston. The Lisbon Street store plans a $650,000 remodel, including a new greenhouse. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

Building buildings and building business — it’s a two-Buzz week.

First up: It’s hammer time.

Never mind the cold and snow: Contractors were cooking on both sides of the river last month.

Among the January projects permitted in Lewiston:

• A $650,000 renovation and greenhouse addition for Tractor Supply Co. at 1619 Lisbon St. The full-scale remodel will add a self-service pet washroom, a new 4,360-square-foot greenhouse and drive-thru pickup that will replace the curbside pickup zone, according to plans filed with the city.

• A $300,000 first-level renovation of Bates Mill No. 1 on Canal Street. “At this point there is no tenant,” developer Tom Platz said Thursday. “We are doing some core work — (the) corridor, plumbing for future bathrooms — to get ready for future tenants. Also a small office for the existing property management.”

• A $260,000 mailroom renovation for TD Bank at 6 Atlantis Way that includes minor electrical and HVAC work and new finishes.

• A $25,000 renovation at 25 Hillcrest Ave. for Centerline Communications, modifying existing equipment at a cell site.

• A $25,000 renovation at 732 Lisbon St. for Paul Custeau, renovating a second floor apartment.

• A $26,000 renovation at 75 Westminster St. for 75 Westminster, refitting space with new partitions and other work to create a packaging room.

• A $49,000 renovation for the Lewiston Housing Authority at 86 Lisbon St., installing a wheelchair lift and shaft.

• A $32,000 renovation at 51 Howard St. for JLW Property Stewards, replacing three-story porches.

The UPS distribution facility and trucks are reflected in a puddle Thursday morning at 72 Flight Line Drive in Auburn, where two new buildings are planned. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

And over in Auburn:

• A $500,000 project at 72 Flight Line Drive to construct two 15- by 85-foot distribution buildings for UPS. The work includes adding or modifying an entrance and repairing a gravel area, according to plans filed with the city.

• Construction of a $500,000, six-unit apartment building at 28 Wellington Court for Gerald Morin. Plans show a three-story building with two, two-bedroom apartments on each floor.

• A $30,000 demolition and a remodel at 223 Center St. for Rancourt Associates. Five Guys restaurant said Wednesday it would be moving into the space this summer, making it the chain’s seventh Maine location.

• A $25,000 project at 491 Court St. modifying equipment at a cell site for Nextel Communications.

• A $2.4 million maintenance bay addition and renovation to the administration building at 64 Mount Apatite Road for the Maine National Guard. The last project there two years ago, for $2.2 million, also added to its training and maintenance facility.

Construction continues Thursday morning on a six-unit apartment building at 28 Wellington Court in Auburn, off Broad Street. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

LET’S MEET THE NEW CLASS

The Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce announced the LA Top Gun Class of 2022 on Thursday. They are:

• All Speed Tech Education, Elizabeth Pajak, an early stage sole-proprietor from Woolwich. The company helps individuals become comfortable and confident using tech, with learning provided at the users’ pace, according to a news release.

• Teach2Move, Malik Hall, Katrina Hall and Jamier Hall, three siblings living in Lewiston-Auburn in the early stage of concept. The company is a seven-week program for schools that supports the social emotional needs of athletes across academics and athletics.

• Black Diamond Detailing, Abdirahman Saeed and Abdinur Mohamed, two young Lewiston graduates in the early stages of opening a company that offers auto detailing on the go.

• The Maine Event Brew Tours & Shuttle, Diana DeJesus and Robert Washington, Mechanic Falls, in the concept stage. The company would offer brew tour experiences in Androscoggin and Oxford counties.

• Deals Everywhere, Nicholas Danforth, Lewiston, already in the prototype stage. The company provides residents an easy app for finding local deals, while promoting local businesses.

• Kerfluffle Fiber Farm, Mandy McDonald, who has been building a direct-to-customer market from a Lebanon farm. The company has a one-of-a-kind hooded infinity scarf as the premier product from its growing fiber arts line.

The entrepreneurs met in-person for the first time Wednesday.

“There was really good energy last night,” said Shanna Cox, chamber president and CEO, and an LA Top Gun mentor before leading the program this year. “I’ve been a big fan of Top Gun and I believe in paying it forward for others on their entrepreneur journey and really excited about the cohort we have. They’re really driven individuals with clear visions.”

For the next four months, they’ll work with mentors and business leaders growing their concepts, culminating in May with a chamber breakfast pitch-off where the winner moves into the statewide finals, vying for a $25,000 prize.

It’s sponsored locally by the cities of Lewiston and Auburn and Munka Coworking with Maine Technology Institute providing the final prize.

Two Lewiston-Auburn teachers won the annual competition, organized by the Maine Center for Entrepreneurs, in 2020 with their idea for a literacy app.

Quick hits about business comings, goings and happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact staff writer Kathryn Skelton at 689-2844 or kskelton@sunjournal.com.