They'll bring their kids in and start picking things out. The pending sale is news to Haines, though. He had heard rumors for weeks that the mall had already been sold and was under new ownership. The sale will be conducted on the premises by Keenan Auction Co. of South Portland. It is being marketed nationally to companies and investors already in the shopping center business, according to Stefan Keenan, real estate division manager.
Terms require all current leases to be honored.
As the spelling of its name implies, the Aroostook Centre Mall was built to capture much of its business from Canadian traffic. But a tax levied by the Canadian government for goods crossing the border changed the focus soon after the mall opened. Still, the mall has thrived in a growing, diversified economy that includes health care, services and agriculture. The unemployment rate, mired in double digits a decade ago, has been in the 3 percent range of late. Without it, we would have to go to Bangor.