BANGOR, Maine — The owner of a Presque Isle bridal boutique is expanding operations to Bangor and plans to bring to the city at least a dozen new jobs.
Courtney Wetzel, owner of Pancsofar’s Bridal Boutique in Presque Isle, confirmed Tuesday she is opening a prom shop and bridal boutique at 15 State St. The new business will be called Blush Bridal and Formal.
Tax records show Bangor Property Development LLC sold the building July 1 to Freedom Property Management LLC, a company registered to Wetzel.
Wetzel said she has been thinking about an expansion since taking over the Presque Isle shop in 2011 and that she was attracted to the Bangor area.
“If you just drive around the area, you can see all the growth that is happening,” she said, adding that Bangor has a regional draw pulling shoppers from surrounding communities.
Wetzel hopes to open the new business in January after an extensive renovation.
The new business will displace Blue Heron, a boutique that primarily has sold merchandise from Maine artisans and craftspeople.
Owner Heather Bass said Monday she has no plans to relocate Blue Heron after 4½ years in business. She instead is offering her remaining merchandise at discounted prices in preparation for closing by month’s end.
“We just don’t feel like we have the resources to renovate a new space at this time,” Bass said, adding that there was not another suitable location downtown.
Wetzel said they plan to locate their prom shop in the Blue Heron space. The bridal shop will occupy the entire second floor, which currently is configured as office space, she said.
Meanwhile, all third-floor offices will be allowed to stay, as will the first-floor women’s clothing boutique, Sea of Cotton, which opened in April.
Bass — who opened Blue Heron with her mother, Janet St. John, in 2011 — said they have no other employees. Bass plans to continue her work as psychotherapist in Bangor. She said her mother will continue her work as a local artist.
“We are incredibly sad. This feels like a really huge loss for us and the community,” Bass said. “And we are incredibly grateful to everyone who appreciated what we were trying to do.”
According to Bass, the name Blue Heron symbolizes the “feminine grace and self reliance” she and her mother invoked when they opened the shop in hope of bringing beauty into the lives of the community members it served.
“We wanted to bring that into the community to elevate the experience of shopping,” Bass said.
Wetzel said the business would employ at least 12 people initially and probably more later on. It will hire temporary help during busy times such as prom season, she said.
The Penobscot County Registry of Deeds would not release a deed showing the actual sale price, but the city Assessing Department estimated its taxable value at $291,200 including the land and historic 1912 building.
Follow Evan Belanger on Twitter at @evanbelanger.