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V O L . X X V N O. I I JA N UA R Y 2 1 , 2 0 1 9 22 C O M M E R C I A L D E V E L O P M E N T F O C U S Cianbro is also building the marina at 58 Fore St. — the Portland Foreside project on 10 acres of the old Portland Co. property that's slowly coming together. (Consigli will handle other work there.) e marina plan is the one piece firmly in place, as it expands from 69 slips to 141, with financial support from a federal boating infrastructure grant. Plans for the six-phase project also include a 150-room hotel. At nearby 86 Newbury St., owned by Shipyard Brewing, work has started. Bateman Partners LLC is working with Allied Cook Construction on the proj- ect, which will include a three-building multiple-use complex that stretches to Mountfort Street. It will include 170,000-square-foot headquarters for Vets First Choice. It's the first office building of more than 150,000 square feet built on the Portland peninsula in 25 years, says a broker for the property, Greg Boulos of e Boulos Co. Thriving on the challenge Cianbro hasn't had so many projects in such a condensed area in a long time, Brescia said. e company is using a lean construction approach. Rather than stockpiling materials on site, subcontractors give three days' notice on what's needed. Scott Tompkins, Cianbro director of business development, says, "Initiatives like that help us on a tight urban site." "e key to success is planning," Brescia adds. at extends to making sure the projects the company is working on don't bump elbows with those going on down the block. "It's a very integrated, very small community," Brescia says. "In Maine, you have to be aware of that." Tompkins adds that's another place where the lean approach helps. "We're all in the same room at the same time." Cianbro isn't the only firm that's been involved in multiple projects in the neighborhood. Archetype Architects, which designed the WEX building, for instance, is also designing the Vets First Choice building and has about a dozen projects east of Franklin Street. Smaller projects mixed in Landry/French Construction is another company that, amid the big developments, built several smaller condominium and retail develop- ments in the neighborhood in the last year. e Scarborough firm recently wrapped up the $10.5 million 54,000-square-foot commercial and residential condominium and residential Mason Block, at 62 India St., which was completed in August. It also just completed cPort Credit Union's new 6,880-square-foot build- ing at 35 Middle St., on the corner of India Street. Last year it finished off the $8.5 million Luminato condomin- ium project at Franklin and Newbury streets and the $10.5 million Seaport Lofts at 113 Newbury St. "Everyone's still seeing a lot of construction activity," says Kevin French, executive vice president of Landry/French. "People think it's going to slow down, but I'm not see- ing it. It's good sailing right now." A moratorium on waterfront development and a task force set up to look into developing on the working waterfront development doesn't affect the four-block area east of Hancock. Bateman Partners, however, on Jan. 11 scrapped plans for a proposed Fisherman's Wharf hotel farther west, on Commercial Street. Still, there has been neighborhood concern about traffic and parking, as well as impact on the neighborhood's residential and historic character. e area's streets are narrow and many are lined with small clapboard houses. Shipyard's property is directly across the street from the historic Abyssinian Meeting House, the third- oldest African-American meeting house in the U.S. Narrow Mountfort Street snakes down from Congress Street between the Eastern Cemetery and 1970s-era townhouses to the Shipyard/Vets First Choice development site. Levine says consideration of the historic nature of the neighbor- hood, as well as traffic congestion and lack of parking, are all part of the conversation. While hundreds of parking spaces are being added in the four-block area, the city is also working with the property owners on the WEX and 86 Newbury projects to find ways to mitigate parking and traffic issues. WEX, aside from providing employee parking in Ocean Gateway parking garage, 167 Fore St., and the new 100 Fore St. garage, plans to run » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E Portland (207) 774-7000 Lewiston (207) 777-5200 Helping You To Build Maine's Future For more than 40 years, Norman Hanson & DeTroy has been a trusted partner to Maine's real estate, design and building professionals. For experienced representation on projects of any size, call or visit us at nhdlaw.com Visit Patrons.com to find an independent Maine agent near you. Business Property and Liability Insurance Products Cyber and Data Breach Liability Insurance Employment Practices Liability Insurance, EPLI & Equipment and Mechanical Breakdown I N S U R I N G M A I N E B U S I N E S S — I N S U R I N G M A I N E P E O P L E Innovative solutions for today's business challenges. We've been in business more than 140 years, and continue to innovate by providing you a portfolio that offers the kind of protection your business needs — today. Everyone's still seeing a lot of construction activity. — Kevin French Landry/French Construction

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