Waterville, Maine Staples Closing as Urgent Care is Planned For Building

The Staples store in Waterville will close permanently on April 10, and plans are already in motion to convert the space into new medical facilities.

According to the Kennebec Journal, the building at 40 Waterville Commons Drive is expected to become home to both a ConvenientMD primary care clinic and a separate urgent care clinic. The two services will operate inside about 17,000 square feet of the 24,000 square foot building and will have separate entrances and exits.

John Aldrich, chief brand officer for ConvenientMD, said the Waterville location will be the first for the company to combine primary care and urgent care services in the same building. He said the interior of the building will be completely gutted and redeveloped, with the goal of opening the clinics toward the end of the year.

The KJ explained that the property was recently purchased by Harborlight Properties, which plans to lease most of the building to ConvenientMD. The remaining 7,000 square feet will be renovated and leased to another tenant.

Staples first signed a lease for the building in 2001. Store employees say the announcement of the closure came as a surprise. Dominic Carrier, who said he was the manager on duty at the time, said six people currently work at the store, the newspaper said.

The new clinics are expected to provide additional health care options for the region, particularly after the closure of Northern Light Inland Hospital and other local practices.

The KJ went on to say that construction is expected to begin in May once Staples vacates the building. The project will include major updates to the property, including new heating and ventilation systems and a refreshed exterior facade.

ConvenientMD has begun recruiting physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical staff for the new Waterville location. The urgent care clinic is expected to operate seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.