A Topsham developer has signed an option to explore buying multiple buildings on Maine Street in Brunswick, which he would replace with up to two dozen condominiums in late 2026 or 2027.
Jim Howard, president and CEO of Priority Real Estate Group, has the option to purchase the former J&J Cleaners, at 69 Maine St., which is vacant; and 53 Maine St., previously home to Embark Restaurant and The Mix, an art supply store.
The Mix has since moved to Park Row. Embark has been operated since 2020 by the Saxton family during the offseason for their Dolphin Marina and Restaurant in Harpswell. A spokesperson for the family declined comment.
Priority owns and leases about $74.5 million worth of apartment buildings and commercial property at Brunswick Landing, according to Howard. He redeveloped the Bowdoin Mill in Topsham and numerous banks, car dealerships, gas stations and other projects in Brunswick and well beyond.
“The first floor may be a parking garage, with some retail space for a bakery or a restaurant,” Howard said about his plans for the downtown project. “In order to put in more residential units, you have to have more parking, and you don’t want more parking lots to abut Maine Street.”
Howard said he is exploring a three-story condominium building, likely 18-24 units, although he would consider a fourth story.
The building at 53 Maine St., a 7,168-square-foot brick structure dating to 1850, has a replacement cost of just more than $1 million. The property is assessed at $484,200, including $192,000 for the land, according to town records.
The J&J Cleaners store and warehouse at 69 Maine St. sit on a quarter-acre and have a combined square footage of 8,529. They were built in 1900 and are assessed, with the land, at $619,500.
Sally Costello, Brunswick’s director of economic and community development, said Brunswick’s Housing Committee wants to see more housing at all income levels, and many apartments are under construction. Higher-end condominiums built in recent years at the intersection of Pleasant and Union streets sold quickly, she said.
“A lot of people in homes would move out of those homes, but they don’t want to go back to renting,” she said.
J&J Cleaners closed nearly a year ago and the building has been vacant ever since, said current owner David McChesney, of Falmouth.
McChesney, who has owned the two properties since the late 1990s, said he has been considering renovations for several years.
“I don’t like to see a property sitting in disrepair,” he said. “It’s in pretty tough shape. … It’s a complicated project, downtown, with so many different people, so many different opinions, and it’s all about cost.”
Costello said the redevelopment at a “critical site for downtown” would grow Brunswick’s tax rolls, help “stabilize our downtown,” and attract more investment. She said the town wants to see more “mixed use,” in which buildings offer both commercial and residential space.
