CORE Tenant Spotlight: Biddeford Coworking
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CORE Tenant Spotlight: Biddeford Coworking

Marc Feldman is known to some people as the "unofficial goodwill ambassador of Biddeford." For over a decade, this enigmatic business leader has been running Biddeford Coworking, one of the most successful coworking spaces in southern Maine. He’s friends with pretty much everyone in the city. You’ll find Biddeford Coworking in Pepperrell Mill, just inside the main entrance at 40 Main Street. It’s a bright space with high ceilings and funky colors. There are all the things you’d expect in an office—desks, plants, and quiet corners for focused work—but there’s also conversation, laughter and the sense that people truly know one another. This sense of community starts with Marc, who has spent more than a decade building a space where people want to come and work. “I engage everybody,” Marc says. “I welcome everybody. The goal is to make people feel like they’re part of the community.” Marc’s path to coworking wasn’t a straight one. Originally from Florida, he moved to Maine in 1984 and opened an Italian restaurant in Kennebunkport. After several years, he transitioned into the wholesale grocery trade, a business he still operates today—from his desk inside the coworking space. “I’ve been a remote worker since 1991,” explains Marc. “I worked out of my house for decades.” But when his children left for college in the early 2010s, Marc realized that it was time to make a change. “You start becoming a basement troll,” he says with a laugh. “You don’t go anywhere, you don’t see people! I realized I needed to get out of the house.” At the same time, the Pepperell Mill campus in Biddeford was beginning to come alive with new businesses and creative energy. Inspired by the growing coworking movement, Marc partnered with a Portland coworking founder to open the original space in 2015. In 2024, he purchased the business outright and rebranded it as Biddeford Coworking. Today, the space is home to a wide range of professionals—from software developers and data scientists to real estate professionals, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and coaches. Many members are remote employees working for companies across the country. “We have people who’ve been members here for nine years,” Marc says. “That says a lot about the relationships people build here.” It’s also a time of new growth in the Pepperell Mill. With new owners CORE-Finard investing in the commercial spaces and a renewed focus on community, Marc is optimistic about the future. “They are really trying to build the mill back into a vibrant center for the town,” he says. “An active community where businesses support each other.” As Biddeford continues to grow and evolve, Marc plans to keep doing what he’s always done: creating a welcoming place where people can come to work and thrive in community. “I didn’t want this to be a place where people just sit in an office,” he says. “People need other people. That’s what makes it work.” Biddeford Coworking, 40 Main St., Suite 13-140, Biddeford, ME

March 16, 2026

CORE Tenant Spotlight: Market Square Jewelers
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CORE Tenant Spotlight: Market Square Jewelers

Step into Market Square Jewelers on Portland’s Exchange Street and you’ll find yourself in a literal treasure trove. The store has a hushed, old-world feel with chandeliers and paintings of tall ships sailing in stormy seas. Peer down into the glass counters and you'll find an extraordinarily unique assortment of gemstones. “It’s fascinating to work here,” says Bernadette Braeuer, a Brit who has spent the past three years managing this Portland location. “It’s full of stories.” Market Square Jewelers is one of the largest estate jewelry businesses on the East Coast. The company, founded more than 40 years ago by Peter Henry, is now run by his daughter Elizabeth Andrews. They have seven stores across New England, from Portland to Portsmouth, NH, and Newburyport, MA. The family business is in a period of growth; it opened two new locations on Boston’s Charles Street and Newbury Street this past year. As an estate jeweler, the pieces for sale here are already in circulation. You’ll find jewelry from the Georgian era all the way to current era—and every single piece feels like it has its own story. “We amass these beautiful treasures and save them from melt,” explains Bernadette. “Then we assist them on their journey. Our customers love finding something so unique.” The pieces are sourced from estate sales and families across the US, with some gemstones brought in from Asia; founder Henry takes regular trips to Sri Lanka and Columbia. “The gemstones we sell are not commercial quality; ours are very high quality,” explains Bernadette. The Portland store has been a smashing success throughout its 11-year history. “Our summer is very busy; it’s almost busier than the fourth quarter, which is unusual for jewelry,” says Bernadette. “We meet people from all over the world.” But for all its old-world feel, the business also has an impressive young edge. Market Square Jewelers has over 84,000 followers on Instagram (@MarketSquareJewelers). They organize live events on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, where they draw a huge, national audience known as “Gemsters.” “The Gemsters are so passionate,” says Bernadette with a smile. “They’re based all across the country and love attending the live events our online team manages.” More recently, the Portland store launched its own Instagram handle to promote its bridal collection, @MSJ_marryme For anyone who is looking for a special and utterly unique item of jewelry, stop by Market Square Jewelers and let Bernadette and her team take you on a fascinating journey. Market Square Jewelers, 17 Exchange Street, Portland ME

January 6, 2026

Core Tenant Spotlight: Mocean
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Core Tenant Spotlight: Mocean

Jasper Tripp may be one of the coolest people in the Old Port. He is a designer, skate shop owner, and the creative mastermind behind Mocean at 13 Exchange Street. Step into this gleaming store and you’ll find some of the leading skater brands, as well as Jasper’s own line of fashion. You’ll also find monthly art exhibitions taking over the walls and a steady stream of creative people coming in and out—this is a true community hub. The store’s community spirit was on full display earlier this fall when “Cobble to Cobble” took over the whole of Exchange Street. For one entire afternoon, the street was closed to traffic and filled with experimental art, live music, and skateboarders doing impressive feats. Nearly 1,000 people visited the event that day—with skateboarders coming in from New York, Connecticut, and Boston. The event got covered in Thrasher Magazine, the bible of skateboarding (watch the video captured by Lurk NYC here). “It was a community get-together expressing art, music, fashion, and skateboarding,” explains Jasper. “We had vintage clothing being sold, we had this huge mural of live art. We hope to turn it into an annual event.” Jasper Tripp was born and raised in Portland, ME. His parents, Sherry and Berry Tripp, owned the original Mocean surf shop and inn in Old Orchard Beach. He started to skate when he was six years old and spent his teens snowboarding for Rome Snowboards in Lake Tahoe. By 2016, Jasper had returned to Maine and was reimagining the family business, opening Mocean as a skate shop in Portland. By 2019, he partnered with CORE to take over the highly visible, ground-floor space at 13 Exchange Street. The store is gorgeous and features some of the best skateboard lines. But it also features Jasper’s own compelling designs. “I was always a skater and fashion went hand-in-hand with it,” he explains. “My inspiration is vintage, early Americana, from the 1940s-60s. We use linen and cotton and are 100% plastic-free.” This holiday season, if you have a skater in the family, be sure to swing by Mocean and support this homegrown entrepreneur. Learn more about Mocean here and follow them on Instagram @moceanskateboards.

December 5, 2025