This week the Buzz is moving, building and moderately care-free — or just bottling things up really well, but more about that.

First up: The law firm Skelton Taintor & Abbott is moving across the river into the former Northeast Bank building at Lewiston’s Southern Gateway.

Developer Matt Hancock, who bought that property and several others in 2019, said the firm will take the top two floors at 500 Canal St., half of the 28,000-square foot building.

Northeast Bank moved out in December into Bates Mill No. 2.

It’s been a crazy market during COVID-19, Hancock said, as businesses assess how much space they need and what makes the most sense.

“It’s been a quite a journey, but we feel pretty fortunate to have such an incredible anchor moving back into that building,” he said. “Companies like that are magnets — quality companies tend to attract other quality companies.”

Sarah Mitchell, president of Skelton Taintor & Abbott, said the company has been at 95 Main St. in Auburn since 1986, but that it’s no longer the best fit for the firm and Androscoggin Title Company.

“Before the pandemic, we were planning to have the attorneys and staff from Gosselin & Dubord relocate to 95 Main St. when they joined us in April 2020,” she said. “However, the changes required by the pandemic have shown us that we have the ability to use our physical space in very different ways than we have in the past. We identified a newer and future-focused location that will allow us all to be together in one location.”

The move will start in late spring and be completed by July.

“We are looking forward to this new chapter in the firm’s history,” Mitchell added.

Looking ahead for the Southern Gateway area, Hancock said he sees many strengths, but he’s also doing targeted outreach to fill in a few gaps.

“It just needs a little more caffeine in that area,” he said. “If we can get a few more things, it creates buzz.”

After 35 years on Auburn’s Main Street, Skelton Taintor & Abbott is moving into the former Northeast Bank building at 500 Canal St. in Lewiston, center foreground, this spring. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

New solar project

The Lewiston Planning Board on Monday night approved New England Solar Garden Corp.’s proposed 1-megawatt solar array project at 184 Old Lisbon Road.

City Planner Doug Greene said 3,456 panels will sit on just over 3 acres on a 10.2-acre leased site.

Michael Redding, NESGC’s vice president of engineering and operations, said the Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based company is just over 10 years old and specializes in smaller, community solar projects.

“We’ve had a great experience working with (city) staff and working through the ordinances with everybody in town,” he said. “Very excited to be here, bringing solar to Maine and specifically to Lewiston.”

The company is hoping to start construction in May or June.

We’re less stressed! Maybe!

This week, Ctshirts.com studied Google Search terms around employee burnout and stress — think “stress eating,” “stress acne” and “5 ways to relieve stress” — and paired that to population to come up with a ranked Most Stressed States list.

Maine comes in at a seemingly very chill No. 41. Judging by those searches, Maryland is the most stressed state, Oklahoma the least.

Maybe we’re just eating official Maine state treat whoopie pies instead of Googling about stress eating?

Quick hits about business comings, goings and happenings. Have a Buzzable tip? Contact staff writer Kathryn Skelton at 689-2844 or kskelton@sunjournal.com.