PORTLAND, ME June 17, 2019—In mid- 2018, Dava Davin from Portside Real Estate Group put 55 Baxter Boulevard in Portland under contract for sale. The owner of the building was planning to retire and close his practice, leaving the majority of the building vacant in the spring of 2019. Dava’s plans for the building were unclear when she originally decided to purchase the property, but saw an enormous amount of opportunity either for her real estate company or another tenant. Drew Sigfridson, SIOR, who brokered the building on behalf of the sellers, knew it was well-positioned in the market – the combination of high visibility, flexible zoning, and solid construction made the property a viable investment.

In late 2018, Dava offered the 4,000± SF main level for lease with Jessica Estes of The Boulos Company as listing broker in hopes of finding an exciting tenant with which to share the building. As expected, the listing garnered a significant amount of interest almost immediately. The majority of the first floor quickly leased to Nicole and Matthew Fortin, for their new veterinarian practice, Back Cove Animal Hospital.

The building is a perfect fit for the practice, already equipped with four exam rooms and an x-ray room from the previous owner, the Orthopedic Center of New England. In addition, the building provides high visibility, proximity to I-295 and direct access to the Back Cove Trail, all of which were factors in the decision to lease the space. Plans for the practice include capitalizing on the many large windows overlooking Back Cove to provide a stunning reception space, with beautiful water views. The building will allow the Back Cove Animal Hospital to achieve its practice philosophy of maximizing patient, client and employee well-being and comfort.

Currently, Dr. Nicole Fortin works as an associate veterinarian in Brunswick, and Dr. Matthew Fortin is a locum veterinarian serving southern and central Maine. They are excited to be working together for the first time, to bring their unique brand of exceptional preventative-care focused high-quality medicine and client-service to Portland. Bucking a trend in the greater-Portland region, The Back Cove Animal Hospital will be a locally-owned veterinary facility with on-site owner-veterinarians. This will allow the practice to offer unparalleled continuity of care, assuring patients and clients can develop a long-lasting bond with their care team. The practice will also provide 24/7 online access to patient medical records and online appointment booking, as well as be equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic and medical equipment, including a digital x-ray system, a digital dental x-ray unit, ultrasound, and advanced anesthetic monitoring equipment. Of particular importance to the owners, the practice will be certified “Fear Free”, designating that the design of the practice and the training of the employees meet a rigorous standard to minimize patient and client stress and anxiety.

The Back Cove Animal Hospital is currently scheduled to open in August 2019 and will serve cats, dogs and small animals throughout the greater-Portland area. The practice will be a full-service facility offering routine wellness care and vaccines, in addition to advanced surgical procedures, dentistry, diagnostics, end-of-life care, and home visits. The practice will be open 8am-6pm Monday through Friday and 8am-1pm Saturdays.

Please feel free to visit the practice website (www.backcoveanimalhospital.com) or email the practice with any questions (info@backcoveanimalhospital.com). Drs. Nicole and Matthew Fortin look forward to welcoming you to the Back Cove Animal Hospital!

As for the remainder of the building, the upstairs tenant has been renewed in place until 2021. At that point Dava plans to renovate the balance of the building used for her business, Portside Real Estate Group as she has done in several other locations in Greater Portland.

The seller, Dr. John Padavano, has retired and was pleased with how smooth the real estate transaction occurred under a specific timeline which dovetailed perfectly with his needs. “It was great to be part of a win-win-win solution. All of the pieces came together as we planned and we were glad to be a part of this transition,” Jessica Estes, Partner at The Boulos Company.