What Finally Replaced Forever 21 at the Maine Mall in South Portland

Every mall in America is going to see stores open and close each year. It's the nature of the retail and restaurant business to see turnover.

One of the things that the Maine Mall does particularly well is absorb closures. Occasionally, you'll see stores shift their location in the mall as well as new additions to quickly fill vacancies.

Despite those quick fixes, there's been one lengthy vacancy at the Maine Mall that has been glaring. That would be Forever 21, which departed the Maine Mall in 2020 due to the company's financial outlook.

That space adjacent to Round 1 has sat vacant for more than six years but is now home to something completely unique at the Maine Mall.

STEM Coliseum and Learning Center Opens at the Maine Mall in South Portland

The STEM Coliseum and Learning Center is a place that brings students, mentors and businesses together focused around the world of mechatronics and technology.

Joe Dionne

Inside the more than 23,000 square foot coliseum, there are several different departments at STEM including woodworking, robotics and welding.

Students are welcomed into STEM whether they have any experience is mechatronics or not. The goal is to gain mastery in given fields and prepare students to join the workforce at an advanced level over others their age.

STEM Coliseum and Learning Center Holding Events Throughout The Summer

Throughout the summer, STEM is holding various events intended for kids of various ages.

Some of those events include a LEGO robotics adventure, learning how to build your own 3-D printer as well as building a combat robot.

You can check out a full schedule of events for the summer and details on how you can get involved here.