Breakwater Marketplace is a stunningly restored, multi-use building that was originally built in the 1930’s as the home of Van Baalen Heilburn & Co., a Rockland, Maine, firm engaged in the manufacturing and distributon of men's sportswear, swimwear, and robes, generally under the trade name State-O-Maine.  Van Baalen, which originated in 1921 in New York, had moved to Maine to lower its labor costs.

In 1972, Pacific Coast Knitting Mills, the parent company of Nautica Apparel, Inc. acquired Van Baalen Heilburn & Co. and renamed it Van Baalen Pacific Corp.  The building became the manufacturing home of the Nautica clothing line.  Even though Nautica is long gone, many remember the time that Nautica was in Rockland, especially those rock bottom deals at the outlet store on the day after Thanksgiving. 

In April 2003, it was announced that entrepreneurs Stuart and Marianne Smith of Camden had completed a deal to purchase the Van Baalen building with development plans that included retail space, a restaurant, and hotel space overlooking the Penobscot Bay and Rockland Harbor.   Through their planning process William and Carole Gartley of Rockport and James and Amy Dorsky of Appleton came on board in 2005 to further hatch plans for the 90,000 square foot warehouse. 

In March 2005 an aggressive eight month timeline began to create Rockland's finest retail and office space. Three major tenants were the anchors that made the renovation possible.  Breakwater Bookland and Café and Department of Labor (which includes the Career Center, Coastal Economic Development Corporation, Women, Work & Community, Bureau of Employment Services, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired) opened for business in November of 2005.  The Department of Health & Human Services opened in January of 2006.

In addition to the space for the three initial tenants, renovations continued to attract small business owners to this top-notch professional facility.  An open house was held October, 2006, to welcome the community to check out this lovingly restored building and to meet the tenants it attracted.  Since then, many businesses now call Breakwater Marketplace home.
Please check out our current Tenant Listing or Available Space.  Or contact us today for inquiries.