Village Square Under New Ownership
By: David Deschesne
Fort Fairfield Journal, June 24, 2015
Josh Cheney and Leigh Smith recently purchased the Village Square from T&G, LLC. They closed on the sale on May 22. Operating under the name, “Aroostook Commercial” they are exploring ideas and options to help entice new businesses to town.
“We're attempting a couple of different things - first, we're being very open about our pricing. Our website, aroostookcommercial.com has prices listed that are lower than what you will find elsewhere in the county, and may even be low enough to motivate a business to move to Fort Fairfield,” Cheney told the Fort Fairfield Journal. “Additionally, we're offering a discount to businesses that are either new ventures or new to Fort Fairfield. The discount we are offering is 50% off the listed rent for qualified businesses for the first 6 months of a 1 year lease. Presently, our hope is that we will be drawing new businesses into the community - either businesses that have been based in other towns, or have been based out of people's kitchens and garages. We hope that we can provide the setting for these businesses to flourish, and through their success drive further economic development in Fort Fairfield.”
Cheney says there are currently no plans for significant changes to the building structure. “We're talking with a number of potential tenants who would be making various changes to their spaces, but we haven't had anyone request major structural changes as of yet. When someone does require changes of that magnitude, we will certainly consider it.”
The former businesses that occupied the ground floor had dressed out the interior court/hallway in the fashion of a mini-mall and Cheney thinks that could be a possibility for the upcoming use, as well. “I think that the lower floor would work very well with the mini-mall model. I don't think that it will be a requirement that we impose on those tenants, at least for the foreseeable future. Right now our model is based more around providing a space and a place for others to succeed, and that success will look different for different businesses. If at some point in the future we discuss the situation with our tenants, and collectively we decide that it's a good idea to further pursue a mini-mall feel, or any other idea, we will certainly do so.”
For more information on the rental space available at Village Square, contact Josh Cheney at 227-4631 or email info@aroostookcommercial.com
