Three businesses have recently moved into a Bangor building that was home to the Anah Shriners for more than three decades but had been largely unused in recent year
Maine Strain Distributors, which sells cannabis growing tools and supplies, bought the property at 586 Main St. in September 2021. Mason’s Brewing Company moved in earlier this year to use the space as a distillery. And about two weeks ago, El Dorado Tattoos set up shop there.
The structure, which was built in the 1970s and features a concrete design on its exterior, hasn’t seen much activity since the Anah Shriners sold it after 35 years and moved to a different location in Bangor. Before the fraternal organization used the building as its temple, it was Friedman Furniture Interiors.
Larry Springer bought the property from the Anah Shriners in April 2016. He stored his antique cars inside with the hope of opening an automobile museum, but it never materialized, he said.
Dylan Proctor of Maine Strain Distributors bought the property for $1.4 million, according to property records. He and his team have spent a few years doing extensive renovations on the two-story building, including converting the Shriners’ event space into a large warehouse, ripping out ceiling tiles, rewiring and installing new light fixtures, manager Donovan O’Reilly said.
The business is open, but work is still underway to get the storefront area set up and the warehouse fully stocked for customers who wish to walk in and find what they need, O’Reilly said.
While Maine Strain sells growing mediums, nutrients, dehumidification equipment and other cannabis supplies, it is able to serve anyone growing plants, O’Reilly said.
Mason’s Brewing Co., which has a restaurant in Brewer and is expanding with a second location in Machias this month, began using the middle portion of the building in January, owner Chris Morley said. The space used to serve as a kitchen and now has distilling equipment from the Netherlands and is used for storage.
After the distiller trains in the Netherlands for a week on using the equipment, the company will prepare to release its first product, a pink peppercorn-infused gin, Morley said. Recipes for moonshine and whiskey are in the works, and vodka could be produced later.
Morley was interested in learning how to produce gin as a pet project. Because the restaurant and brewery already serve gin, he decided to explore it as a source of revenue.
“This was a hobby for us, and we wanted to grow it organically,” he said. “We are planning to go to market sometime in mid-June.”
Like the company’s beer, the gin will be available at Mason’s and select stores in Maine. Those include Damon’s Beverage in Bangor, Stompers Wine & Beverage Superstore in Holden and Global Beverage Warehouse in Ellsworth, he said.
“As of right now, it’s going to be a production facility,” he said. “We did approach the city about having the ability to transform the space into a tasting room, but I’m not sure if it lends itself to that just yet.”
El Dorado Tattoos opened in the former Shriner building after outgrowing its original location at 703 Main St. in Bangor. Owner Corey Woods opened the shop in March 2023 after he and his wife, Paige, moved from Daytona Beach, Florida, to Bangor and later expanded his team with tattoo artists from Massachusetts and North Carolina.
The new location was outdated and needed renovations, but it’s about five times larger and has ample parking, he said.
The tattoo studio takes appointments, but it also prioritizes walk-ins for that “traditional street shop” feeling, Woods said. A grand reopening party featuring several guest artists is scheduled for May 5.