BIDDEFORD — Continued economic development tops the list of significant events in the city of Biddeford for 2017, both in the downtown/mill district and the Route 111 commercial district.

To help coordinate the city’s economic growth, in November the City Council  approved hiring a new economic development director, Mathew Eddy, who started his position Nov. 27.

Just prior to his hiring, real estate company The Boulos Company, headquartered in Portland, announced that the former Shaw’s supermarket location on Route 111 was sold On Oct. 24 to Ocean State Job Lot.

The 8.45-acre property, with a 55,900-square-foot building, at 510 Alfred St. sold for $3.925 million. The building, built in 1997, has been vacant since Shaw’s closed in 2015.

When it opens — scheduled to take place in early 2018 — the Biddeford location of the popular discount retail store would be the seventh in Maine.

Some other new businesses that opened on Route 111 in 2017 include Taco Bell, Jiffy Lube and Starbucks.

In the mill district, one of the most significant developments was a joint development agreement between the city and LHL Holdings, LLC in September regarding the redevelopment of the Lincoln Mill.

The agreement was approved a week after LHL Holdings, LLC and Eric Chinburg of Chinburg Properties announced their partnership to redevelop the 17 Lincoln Mill at 17 Lincoln St. City officials say Eric Chinburg is a leading figure in New England Mill redevelopment.

Phase one of the project includes construction of 181 apartment units, a restaurant, a 10,000-square-foot fitness club and rooftop amenities.

Under the joint development agreement, construction of phase one was to begin by the end of 2017, and be completed by the end of 2019.

— Associate Editor Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 324, dmendros@journaltribune.com.