Wilder named development partner at Waterstone Properties’ $600m Rock Row

Portland, ME Adding to their current role as Rock Row’s retail merchandising specialist, Wilder has become a development partner in the 110-acre Greater Portland, development. Working with developer and owner Waterstone Properties, the two companies will jointly oversee all new phases of development of an additional 1.6 million s/f of retail, dining, hotel, residential, office and entertainment venues.

“Rock Row is one of the most unique and anticipated developments on the East Coast. With completion of Phase 1, including Market Basket, REI, Chick-Fil-A, Starbucks and Crumbl, as well as the groundbreaking of the 200,000 s/f medical campus, we look forward to adding value to the continuing project by collaborating with Waterstone on additional strategic planning, project management, and financial oversight. Our goal is to put our collective team’s depth of experience to work and create an iconic destination that will provide soul-stirring experiences for both guests and residents,” said Tom Wilder, a Wilder principal.

Rock Row is a two million s/f mixed-use development centered around a 400-foot wide, 300-foot deep, 26-acre natural stone quarry featuring:

• 500,000 s/f of retail, dining, and entertainment in a open-air streetscape. Phase 1 is open with local restaurants Big Fin Poke and Cowbell, plus REI, The Paper Store, Crumbl Cookies, Starbucks, and Market Basket, currently ranked in the top 25 sales producing grocery stores in the country. Phase 2 will feature additional chef-driven restaurants, retail, a beer hall, a 550-seat food hall operated and managed by chef Akhtar Nawab, a 12-screen Cinemark Theatre, and a 5,000+ capacity multi-purpose venue.

• 400,000 s/f of class-A office space–with the live, work and play environment.

• 200,000 s/f medical campus. Ground was broken on September 21, 2022 for campus anchor New England Cancer Specialists, an affiliate member of Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Rock Row’s Medical & Research Campus will be the newest and most advanced integrated medical campus in New England. Features will include a healing garden, outdoor infusion bays, nature trails, and integrated medicine programming as well as valet parking.

• 750+ one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences with designer finishes and modern amenities. The first 350 apartments are planned to open summer 2024.

• Three hotels including a 250-key conference hotel, a 120-key all-suites hotel and a non-branded boutique hotel featuring a spa, chef-driven restaurant, and rooftop bar.

• Vibrant experiences centered in and around the 26-acre quarry with four-season activities including light shows, art installations, live music, wedding venues and over 200 programmed activations annually.

“Expanding our relationship with Wilder makes perfect sense,” said Waterstone principal, Josh Levy. “We share similar visions of unlocking the power of place through thoughtful design and merchandising. Wilder has a tremendous track record for delivering vibrant mixed-use developments. Working with them as development partner on the entire project fortifies the team driving this incredible multiyear, multimillion-dollar project—the largest commercial project in Maine.”

Rock Row is on the Portland/Westbrook line in the center of the region’s primary traffic flow with two direct exits off I-95/Maine Tpke.

Greater Portland has become a top destination for visitors due to its abundant cultural and recreational opportunities and its vibrant restaurant scene, which has garnered national and international acclaim over the past decade. Maine attracts more than 35 million visitors annually, with over six million flocking to Portland alone. Portland was recently named one of the top 10 places to live in the country by US News and World Report.