![\"Town](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Town-Center-at-The-Downs.jpeg\")
\t\t\tMore than 240,000 square feet of commercial space is under construction in the town center at The Downs. (Courtesy of M&R Development)<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore than 240,000 square feet of commercial space is under construction in the town center at The Downs. (Courtesy of M&R Development)<\/p>\n
SCARBOROUGH \u2014 Verizon, NBT Bank and Maine Community Bank are the latest businesses to commit to locating in the town center that\u2019s under construction<\/a> in The Downs mixed-use development.<\/p>\n They join a growing list of companies setting up shop in the heart of the former Scarborough Downs. A Market Basket supermarket and an InterMed medical office building are expected to open later this year, and Caf\u00e9 Luna is moving<\/a> from its Route 1 location to the new town center next spring.<\/p>\n More than 240,000 square feet of commercial space is under construction in the town center and 70% is already leased or purchased, according to M&R Development, the Scarborough-based partnership that bought the site in 2018<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving these well-known businesses in The Downs will deliver convenience for residents and visitors, and serve as a catalyst to attract future residents, restaurants and retailers as we continue build out the town center,\u201d developer Peter Michaud said in a statement.<\/p>\n Creating a town center in a community without one has been a stated goal in Scarborough\u2019s comprehensive plan since 2006. The town then passed special zoning<\/a> that allowed mixed-use development on the 577-acre property.<\/p>\n It now encompasses 700 homes with 1,000 residents off Route 1, and 50 businesses with 1,500 employees in a commercial district off Payne Road. And those numbers are poised to grow in the town center.<\/p>\n \u201cFor 20 years, Scarborough residents have wanted a true town center,\u201d said Travis Kennedy, chair of the town\u2019s economic development and downtown committees. \u201cTo see it finally happen is a milestone in local history.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE BUSINESSES BUY IN<\/p>\n Verizon has leased space for a street-level store in The Breakaway, a commercial-residential building on Scarborough Downs Road that will have 76 1- and 2-bedroom apartments on four upper floors. It\u2019s the first mixed-use building in the town center. Construction started in May.<\/p>\n A local artist will paint a mural on the building reflecting the 70-year history of The Downs as a racetrack from 1950-2020<\/a>. Caf\u00e9 Luna also will be located in The Breakaway and there\u2019s ground-floor space for several other small businesses.<\/p>\n NBT Bank, which has branches throughout the Northeast, including Portland, has leased space at 72 Market St. for its second branch in Maine, next to Market Basket.<\/p>\n \u201cThis investment reflects our strong commitment to southern Maine and our continued growth in the region,\u201d said Mike O\u2019Reilly, NBT Bank president for Northern New England. \u201cWe\u2019re especially excited to be part of the revitalization of Scarborough Downs and serving the individuals and businesses who will call this new community home.\u201d<\/p>\n The Market Basket at The Downs will be the chain\u2019s fourth store in Maine<\/a>, after Biddeford, Westbrook and Topsham. Maine\u2019s first Costco opened in 2023<\/a> on the north side of The Downs, off Payne Road, and is driving nearly 2 million shoppers annually to nearby businesses, a study found<\/a>.<\/p>\n Maine Community Bank is purchasing commercial condominium space at 4 Market St., near an Allagash Brewing Co. tasting room and restaurant, a nail salon and a fitness center. InterMed\u2019s facility will be its sixth in Greater Portland.<\/p>\n HOUSING PROJECTS MOVE AHEAD<\/p>\n Housing projects under construction in the town center include Cross Street Condos, with 96 luxury units in two buildings, and Sturgeon Place, with 51 affordable units designed for people with physical disabilities.<\/p>\n Since the developers purchased the property<\/a> for $6.7 million, they have built more than $353 million in assessed value, which generates $4 million in annual property taxes, they said. When the first phase of the town center<\/a> is completed, the assessed value is projected to be $463 million, pushing annual taxes to $5 million, they said.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/The-Breakaway-building-at-The-Downs.jpeg\")
<\/a>A rendering of The Breakaway building, currently under construction at The Downs. It will include several street-level businesses and 76 1- and 2-bedroom apartments on four floors above. (Courtesy of M&R Development)<\/p>\n![\"Maine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Maine-Community-Bank-at-The-Downs.jpg\")
<\/a>Maine Community Bank plans to open a branch in the town center at The Downs. (Courtesy of M&R Development)<\/p>\n