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Morning Sentinel
WATERVILLE CREATIVE PREVIEW
BY SCOTT MONROE
Staff Writer Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel 11/16/2008

WATERVILLE -- "Awesome! That hat is really cool!"

Tammy Gidney of Vassalboro peered at the wood carvings and sculptures laid out on the table; the "newspaper boy" wooden hat has caught her attention. The artist standing behind the table, Marcia Berkall of South China, thanked Gidney for the compliment.

Gidney was among more than 100 people who stopped by for a glimpse Saturday of what's in store for the upcoming Hathaway Creative Center.

One of the shops that will be leasing space in the building, Unique Designs, moved some inventory into the former Marden's building so the public could check out some merchandise that will soon be for sale at the center. Local artisans who plan to display their work at the shop are also at the building space this weekend.

The "fall preview" of the Creative Center continues today from noon to 4 p.m.

When it opens sometime in March 2009, Unique Designs will be among many other tenants at the new center. The anchor tenant is HealthReach Network, a partner of MaineGeneral Health and other services in central Maine that will include about 100 employees. MaineGeneral's human-resources staff will also move in.

The $40 million Hathaway project is part of a larger plan to also develop three adjacent buildings, creating a haven for artists, residents and businesses. The complex will contain apartments and other commercial ventures, amassing a population of about 1,000 people.

Apartments will be available for occupation around March, and there have already been "really good inquiries about the spaces," said Rhode Island-based developer Paul Boghossian, who is spearheading the project with business partner Thomas Niemann.

More than 200 people will be moved during the next month, and more commercial tenants open up shop beginning in February, he said.

"We're really just now starting to accelerate our leasing efforts," Boghossian said Saturday.

"I'm unbelievably excited; it's a great building."

Lisa Osenga and Joann Leclair couldn't agree more. Osenga is the owner of Cranberry Harbor Naturals, which sells organic candles and other household items, and Leclair owns the interior-decorating business Unique Designs, which will be the name of the store when both operations open together at the Creative Center.

Although they are displaying their merchandise this weekend at the old Marden's building, their shop -- in a 1,600-foot by-1,800-square-foot space -- will be in a different location at the Creative Center when it opens next year.

Leclair, of Winslow, and Osenga, of Oklahoma (and Waterville in 2001-2002), met recently and decided the time was right to combine their talents at the Hathaway building.

Both women say their businesses have evolved "from the kitchen, to the garage, to the basement," and now to this.

"This is a great opportunity for anyone looking for retail space," Leclair said. "It's connecting everything to Main Street."

John Burke of Vassalboro decided to stop by the open house Saturday afternoon because he's friends with Leclair. Burke, as he inspected the work of Winslow artist Sandra Stewart, said he's looking forward the having "a nice place to exhibit this kind of work."

"Having more locally made and unique products is much better than the cookie-cutter, made-in-China type of things," Burke said. "The more you can have locally made, the more you keep dollars local."

Scott Monroe -- 487-3288, 861-9253

smonroe@centralmaine.com

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