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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 J U LY 2 4 , 2 0 2 3 F O C U S R E A L E S TAT E / C O N S T R U C T I O N / E N G I N E E R I N G e $13.5 million revamp of an office building at 300 Fore St. into the new home of the University of Maine School of Law, the state's only law school. e leased building, which formerly housed an international student exchange organization, opened its doors in January, after an eight-month rebuild by Consigli Construction Co. "It was a fun challenge," is how Consigli Project Executive Chris Brown sums up the experience, which included testing acoustics for privacy, replac- ing rooftop air handlers and making hallway egress changes. en, on the day of turning over the build- ing to the client six weeks before students were due back, a complaint from Maine Law Dean Leigh Saufley caught Brown off guard. "Chris, we have a major problem," she said, stok- ing Brown's fears of something serious like faulty walls or air handling. As it turned out, the objection was to laminate countertops, which the company easily replaced with another material. "It was something we could handle on short notice," says Brown, whose working relationship with Saufley dates back to her time as chief justice of Maine's Supreme Judicial Court. "If I'm not making clients like Leigh happy," he says, "they'll go elsewhere." Urban luxury With the jump in hybrid and remote work sparked by the pandemic, the blurred lines between home and work are boosting demand for multi-purpose surroundings. at's the philosophy behind live/work luxury lofts at 482 Congress St., in a 19th-century small office building owned by brothers Timothy and Christopher Leahy since 2016. Jasmin A. Moulton, a broker with Sotheby's International Realty, says that two of four apart- ments are under lease, with another two recently finished and on the market. "e nice thing about offices is that you have this massive space," she says inside the larger of the two that are still empty. It's an 1,872-square foot space with a quartz kitchen countertop, oak floors, high ceilings, large windows letting in lots of light on this sunny day, and an open-floor plan that looks like it could accom- modate a dance or yoga studio. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » If I'm not making clients like Leigh [Saufley] happy, they'll go elsewhere. — Chris Brown Consigli Construction Co. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Jasmin A. Moulton of Legacy Properties Sotheby's International Realty is marketing "live-work" downtown luxury lofts for rent like this recently completed abode at 482 Congress St. in Portland. The building, which dates to 1900, still houses some offices. BRING US YOUR VISION When you engage our engineering collective, you'll immediately value how our innovation, collaboration, and expertise create solutions for your success. We are all shaping Maine, together. Offices in South Portland, Bridgton, Springvale, and Bath, Maine www.sebagotechnics.com

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