Mainebiz

V O L . X X X N O. V I I I A P R I L 1 5 , 2 0 2 4 20 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 M aine has a number of interesting construc- tion projects underway, serving every industry from health care to tourism to renewable energy. Projects cover the gamut throughout the pipeline and include mixed-use and residential development, Roux Institute's plans to build a campus at the for- mer manufacturing facility for B&M Baked Beans in Portland, and planned renovations and upgrades at the University of Maine's Harold Alfond Sports Arena and Shawn Walsh Hockey Center. Welcoming visitors In the Hancock County town of Trenton, folks driving along Route 3 between Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island will notice a long-awaited sight — the start of construction on the Acadia Gateway Center. "All the timber framing is up for the new building," says Ed Karpinski, resident engineer on the project for the Maine Department of Transportation. e $27.7 million transit hub and welcome center were a long time coming. It's the second phase of a plan first enshrined in a memorandum of understanding among 20 partners in 1999. e first phase, completed in 2012, included the construction of a park-and-ride lot as well as office space and a bus maintenance facil- ity for Downeast Transportation, which operates the Island Explorer, a free shuttle serving Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island. at facil- ity is tucked back out of sight from Route 3. A long time coming In 2002, Friends of Acadia began planning phase two. It 2007, the nonprofit sold 152 acres fronting Route 3 to to MDOT, the project's owner. Last year, work ramped up with Brewer general contractor Nickerson & O'Day on the job. e center is designed to serve as a location where visitors can access regional tourism information, buy park entrance passes and connect with transit options to help them explore the region car-free. e project incorporates several sustainability fea- tures, including a geothermal heating and cooling system, a rooftop solar panel array and electric vehicle charging stations. Planners included MDOT, the Federal Transit Administration, the National Park Service, Friends of Acadia and Downeast Transportation. e site sits between Ellsworth and Mount Desert Island; its location was designed to intercept traffic traveling south on Route 3 before arriving onto Mount Desert Island. With 3.88 million visitors last year, Acadia ranked No. 7 among national parks, according to National Park Service numbers. In 2017, the annual average daily traffic P H O T O / F R E D F I E L D NEW BUILDS A range of construction projects are in the pipeline B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r Ed Karpinski, right, of the Maine Department of Transportation and John Kelly of Acadia National Park say the Acadia Gateway Center will provide a 'sense of arrival' to visitor attractions. F O C U S This is important for providing a sense of arrival to the park. — John Kelly Acadia National Park

• Cover