A shot in the arm for CMHC & LA area

The new Cancer Care Center at High and Main Streets in Lewiston, Maine is the latest example of the nimble flexibility that Bateman Partners offers to all of its development partners.

The healthcare industry, perhaps more than most, has experienced monumental shifts in recent years. Changes in regulations, in recruiting physicians, in patient expectations and in the actual delivery of care require have required executives to adopt completely new development models compared to just a decade ago, and Bateman Partners, understanding these new and unique demands, has thrived in this new environment.

WMTW news report on new Cancer Care Center, May, 2022.

The company has completed an exhaustive multi-year process to help Central Maine Health Care (CMHC) open their new facility earlier this summer. The new two-story, 52,000-square-foot Cancer Care Center houses the Central Maine Cancer Institute, which provides multi-specialty, team-based care. The facility also houses new equipment, including new linear accelerators critical for radiation therapy. The new center is the cornerstone of the Cancer Care Institute and providers services in an accessible, centralized location so patients do not have to make their way to different parts of the Lewiston hospital campus for their care.

“Our clients don’t need just one problem solved with an a la carte service, they need a whole suite of development skills,” said Nathan Bateman, vice president at Bateman Partners. “We’ve been specializing in this sector for several years now, and it’s our comprehensive ‘A to Z’ mindset that represents the real value.”

The Cancer Care Center was thoughtfully designed to incorporate the landscape in and around Lewiston. Local mills and factories and features of the region’s proud heritage played a crucial part in the design concept. The interior architecture and layout was inspired by the work and research being conducted in DNA research and how it relates to cancer care. Using natural light, sustainable features, growing plants and open space to allow for the best possible healing environment. CMHC invested $33.2 million in project. Planning took several years, but construction started in 2020 and was finished in the first half of 2022.

“For those who understand how complex these types of construction project are, that efficient construction timeline is the best possible example of an airtight development and construction process,” Bateman said.

Mountain View project looks to bring affordable housing option to Fairfield

The Mountain View affordable housing project moves closer to developer's plan to build 28 one- and two-bedroom apartments at a building that previously served as a sanatorium in Fairfield.

By Kaitlin Budion Morning Sentinel

A possible site for housing is in disrepair Wednesday on Mountain Avenue in Fairfield. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel

FAIRFIELD — Recent action by the Town Council to approve an updated tax break means the Mountain View affordable housing project is on track for people to move in a renovated building by the fall of 2022. (Click HERE for original article in Central Maine Morning Sentinel.)

The project, run by Portland-based developers Bateman Partners LLC, would convert the existing brick building on the property into an apartment building with 28 units — 14 one-bed, one-bath apartments and 14 two-bed, one-bath apartments.

“It’s a great use of this property and fills a great need that we have here the community,” Fairfield Town Manager Michelle Flewelling said at a recent council meeting.

All of the units will require that the head of the household be at least 55 years old, and will be restricted to those who make 60% or less than the median income for Somerset County. The median household income for 2015-2019 for Somerset County was $44,256, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The building will also feature a community space, community garden, laundry room and 56 onsite parking spots. There is no anticipated commercial or non-residential use for the building.

The building itself was originally constructed in 1954 and previously functioned as a sanatorium. The developers are working to get the building added to the historic registry, Flewelling said, and has been approved at the state level, and is waiting on federal approval.

“It has great bones and it just needs somebody to come in and give it a facelift and an update it, and all of that. And it would make a great location,” Flewelling said.

The Fairfield Town Council met June 23, and approved a change to the TIF district surrounding the property, the latest step forward for the project.

Back in 2007 there had been a different developer interested in building housing at the location, Flewelling said. So the council created a TIF district with the 50 Mountain Ave. property and a nearby property that was meant for a Waterville Housing Authority project.

Neither project materialized, and when Bateman Partners LLC took over, the council wanted to create a new district that would last the full 30-year term. The previous district would have expired in fiscal year 2036-37.

The new district only includes the property for this project and the funds the town collects from the district will go into a fund designated for future housing projects.

The district still needs to be approved by the Maine State Housing Authority, Flewelling said, but she does not anticipate any difficulties with that process.

Flewelling said that developers plan to start construction as soon as all of the logistics have been approved, and hope to move people into the building around the fall of 2022.

Also discussed at the Town Council meeting was the process with the Department of Environmental Protection for a possible privately owned transfer station in Fairfield.

The transfer station is still in the very early stages of the process, Flewelling said, and would need to first get permits from the department, and be permitted through the town.

The station would be owned by Gregory’s Disposal, and the proposed location is in the industrial park in Fairfield.

The idea was brought up at the meeting, Flewelling said, because once the DEP begins its process there is a specific window of time that the town can submit written comment and request a public hearing. The council did confirm that they would like a public hearing once the department reaches that point in the process.

Staying power: Portland hotel developers try to catch market on an upswing

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PHOTO/Tim Greenway. At the future Cambria, Matt Cook, left, president of Allied/Cook Construction; David Bateman, president of Bateman Partners; and Nathan Bateman, vice president of Bateman Partners.

By Renee Cordes, Staff Writer, Mainebiz Magazine

The new kids on the block are raring to go — three upscale downtown Portland hotels opening this year. Together they’ll add 394 new rooms, bringing the city’s total to 3,415, including bed-and-breakfasts. (Click for ORIGINAL Mainebiz article)

First out of the gate are the Canopy Portland Waterfront and Aloft Hotel Portland, both on Commercial Street, followed later in the year by Shipyard Brewing Co.’s Cambria Hotel Portland Old Port, frequently referred to as a “brewtel.”

Though the newly built establishments will debut at a precarious time for tourism and hospitality after last year’s pandemic pummeling, their backers are convinced of their staying power — and Portland’s lasting luster. 

“We’re very bullish on Portland in general, and Commercial Street is the place to be,” says David Leatherwood, CEO of Norwich Partners LLC, the New England- and Florida-based hotel development and investment firm behind the Aloft. Adjacent to a mixed-use project at the former Rufus Deering Lumber site, it’s set to open in May. That puts it in the heart of a downtown building boom that goes well beyond hotels.

“It certainly conveys to the traveler, ‘I’m in the right place, surrounded by construction and new development,’” he says.

Fathom Cos. President Jim Brady has a similar view, after securing one of the peninsula’s last big buildable lots, also on Commercial Street, for the Canopy.

Still a beehive of activity in late March with Cianbro workers installing interior fittings, it’s slated to open this spring at a date to be determined.

“We feel optimistic,” Brady says. “It’s nice to be able to open into the strength of this summer, when people feel ready to travel again.” 

Travel’s sweet spot

Though it’s a risky time to open a new hotel anywhere, Portland developers are counting on strong pent-up demand from leisure travelers, starting with those coming by car, to put Maine’s biggest city in 2021’s sweet spot.

Those expectations are backed by a McKinsey & Co. report published in January about how the COVID-19 crisis and the recovery are shaping the global economy. It found that people who travel for pleasure will want to get back to doing so, because of the “very human desire to explore and to enjoy,” while business travel will take longer to bounce back.

An American Express report released in March paints a similar picture. Out of 3,000 travelers in the United States and six other countries surveyed in January, 87% said that having a trip planned in the future gives them something to look forward to, while 56% said they miss travelling so much they are willing to book a trip now even if that means having to cancel later.

As air travel starts to pick up nationwide, the Portland International Jetport is poised to draw more visitors to Bon Appetit magazine’s 2018 “City of the Year,” with new summer routes by United, American, Frontier and others taking off.

That makes the timing “perfect” for three new hotels in Portland, in the eyes of

Greg Mitchell, the city’s economic development director, who says that each will bring a different experience for visitors. He also points to the strong track records of the owners and operators.

“These are people with a long history in Portland that understand Portland and are committed to Portland for the long range,” he says. “That in itself has been a huge level of confidence for me — despite the pandemic, they’re proceeding with their projects.” Unconcerned about overdevelopment in tourism, he adds, “Our economy is strong and diversified, and it’s just getting stronger and more diversified.”

Visit Portland President and CEO Lynn Tillotson says booking trends point to a strong 2021 season driven by leisure travelers.

“Tourism drives the vitality of our region, and it’s the vitality that drives businesses to develop here and people to choose to live here,” she says. “Tourism is essential to our success.”

Those behind the new hotels coming online in 2021 are determined to stake their claim in a competitive market that will continue to get more crowded, not just in Portland but also in Westbrook, Scarborough and South Portland.

“There’s a competitive market because there’s a need,” notes Joseph Caradonna of Koucar Management LLC, a Michigan-based development firm that teamed up with Shipyard, Bateman Partners LLC and others on the Cambria.

Bateman Partners President David Bateman adds, “I’m a big fan of Portland and have been since the 1970s. … People forget that the city has gone through many ups and downs and rebirths, which is why the symbol of the city is the phoenix. We’re on a very good tangent.”

Aloft’s ‘golden’ moment

For Norwich Partners, the Aloft Hotel Portland will be its third in the city. It owns the AC by Marriott, which opened in 2018, and sold the Residence Inn to an undisclosed buyer in 2017.

Founded in 2003, Norwich Partners has owned equity stakes in 27 hotels around the country, and the Aloft is one of four hotels it’s opening this year — and the only one outside Florida. Though that’s twice its normal amount, some openings were delayed because of the pandemic.

Leatherwood, who has helped develop more than 4,000 hotel rooms with a $1 billion-plus market value, predicts that “Portland is going to have a booming summer.” Lest there be any concerns about an oversupply of rooms, he says, “I’ve heard that since 2002, and it’s never been true — it’s a very resilient market — with this caveat: If you are truly downtown, and you are on or near Commercial Street, you’re golden.”

Speaking by phone from Sanibel Island, Fla., Leatherwood describes the Aloft as a “hipper, younger version of the AC.” While both are Marriott-owned brands, Aloft targets young families and millennials as a “very high-tech forward” brand with amenities including a robotic butler that makes deliveries to rooms. It also aims to be music-oriented, inviting local street musicians to play in the lobby.

Despite a slight delay in furniture deliveries held up by the recent Suez Canal blockage, he’s hopeful of an opening by early June. Like the AC, the Aloft will be managed by Boston-based Pyramid Hotel Group LLC for Norwich. It normally makes an exit after a few years though that’s not set in stone.

“Everything is for sale, but nothing is on sale,” Leatherwood says, “meaning if we opened the doors of the Aloft Hotel today, we would sell it the next day if we got the right price.” He doesn’t rule out doing further deals in Portland, where he hopes that some restaurateurs who had to close during the pandemic will reopen or reinvent themselves with a new concept.

“The city will come back,” he says.

Raising the Canopy

Unlike Norwich Partners, Jim Brady’s Fathom Cos. is involved in both hotel development and management, starting with Portland’s Press Hotel in a renovated Art Deco-era newspaper building.

The Canopy by Hilton is a new build on an empty lot — where E. Swasey & Co. once made pottery and glassware — that had long been on Brady’s radar. While he won’t disclose what he’s investing to build the 104,000-square-foot structure, he notes it wouldn’t be for less than $300 a square foot — or at least $31.2 million. 

Despite rising construction costs and some furniture delivery delays, there’s been no skimping on the design — the interior is by Portland’s Ealain Studio — which built a model room in a warehouse as a test run down to the plumbing and fixtures.

“It’s a great exercise, and at the end of the day I’m confident it leads you to building a better project,” Brady says.

The Canopy Portland Waterfront, which broke ground in October 2019, is targeting a spring opening albeit with no firm date. Confident that demand from leisure travelers for outdoor destinations puts Maine in a strong spot, Brady expects a similar pickup in business travel by the fall.

Brandon Hussey, Fathom’s sales and marketing director, voices a similar view as reservations for later in the year start to come in, noting during a site walk-through: “It’s encouraging to see some of those get in the books.”

While the Canopy and Press Hotel will in part be competing with one another, Brady also expects operational efficiencies. Like the Press Hotel, he expects the Canopy to employ around 100 people when fully up and running.

Brady, who has other, non-hotel development projects in Biddeford and Lewiston, says he’d be open to other opportunities in Portland but probably not immediately given constraints on new development.

More generally, he says: “We’re excited about the Portland marketplace and hope that people continue to want to come here for both work and play.” 

Cambria’s autumn aspirations

Bucking the Commercial Street trend, the Cambria Hotel Portland Old Port is out to conquer the eastern waterfront, an emerging area for commercial development.

“For years it was no man’s land, but that’s not the case now,” says Bateman, of Bateman Partners, the developer behind the project with a huge portfolio of residential and commercial projects.

As with the Portland Harbor Hotel and the Inn at Diamond Cove, Bateman Partners develops hotels but leaves management to others. For the $27.5 million, 102-room Cambria, it has teamed up with Shipyard and other partners including Donohoe Cos. of Bethesda, Md.; and Detroit-based Koucar Management. 

They’re aiming to open by the start of the fourth quarter, and while that means missing the summer season, Bateman says, “We’re optimistic we’re going to have a good fall, and you have to roll with the punches.”

He adds that “there are a lot of fun things we can plan over the winter,” in the same spirit as the Portland Harbor Hotel’s Ice Bar tradition. Starting new beer traditions at the Cambria, the indoor-outdoor rooftop bar will feature actual hops plants to be used in beer made by Shipyard.

“Someone once told me the closest thing to being in show business is hotels,” Bateman says. “You either love it or you hate it. I’ve come to love it.”

Interestingly, it was recorded drone footage of Casco Bay that lured the Batemans to the Cambria hotel project, which is entirely pre-fab construction.

Once completed, his firm’s involvement will end, as per its usual practice, leaving others to manage the new establishment.

“Construction projects are always bittersweet,” Bateman admits. “We enjoy designing and building them, but once they go out in the marketplace it’s like raising a child, and then saying, ‘Let’s see how you make out in the real world.’”

Developers see residential as next step to Portland eastern waterfront's future

Click below for video.

(CLICK HERE for full Mainebiz article.) A panel of developers for projects on Portland's eastern waterfront said Thursday that residential projects are key to continued development in that slice of the peninsula.

The three developers, speaking at the Maine Real Estate and Development Morning Menu forum, are behind some of the city's largest developments, all in a four-block area of the peninsula. A decade ago the slice was vacant lots and derelict buildings.

So far, most of the development has been commercial, but that's changing.

"Portland's potential and growth potential will really be driven by residential," said Ara Aftandilian, managing member of EssexNorth Portland LLC, of Topsfield, Mass. The company developed the AC Hotel By Marriott, at 158 Fore St., which opened in 2018, and the adjacent 27-unit Twenty Thames condominium development, which opened last year.

Next month the developer plans to break ground on a 24-apartment building with ground-floor retail, at 7 India St., on the same block as the two other developments.

Aftandilian was joined by David Bateman, president of Bateman Partners LLC, which is developing the 211,000-square-foot 86 Newbury/Covetrus project, and Jonathan Cohen, developer of 0 Hancock (the Wex building) and 100 Fore St. The panel was moderated by David Soley, a partner at Bernstein Shur.

Bateman's multifaceted development on the block bordered by Hancock, Newbury, Mountfort and Fore streets only has 10 residential units. But he said the businesses locating in the hundreds of thousands of square feet of office space he, Cohen and Aftandilian are developing, or have developed, also need residential development.

"On the recruiting end, the good news is it's a great place to live, and the bad news is there's no place to live," Bateman said.

Ballot questions concern developers

The developers all said they're concerned about three referendums on Portland's Nov. 3 ballot, which they say will restrict how residential property is developed.

Specifically, they oppose the "Local Green New Deal," which among other things would change the city's inclusionary zoning requirement for affordable housing. Currently, any development of more than 10 units must make 10% of them affordable, according to a matrix based on the area median income and the standard of a resident paying no more than 30% for housing. Developers can avoid that by paying a fee to the city that goes into an affordable housing fund. The referendum calls for raising the percentage of affordable units to 25%.

The questions, put on the ballot by People First Portland, part of the Southern Maine Democratic Socialists of America, also include provisions for more energy-efficient housing, higher pay and training for laborers and other things that would have an impact on development. They are aimed at improving the quality of life in the community, as well as helping to ease the city's housing crisis, particularly for people with middle or low incomes, proponents say.

But the developers said the changes would have the opposite effect of what's intended, halting development projects that include workforce housing and dampening the economic benefits that come from development.

Aftandilian said the inclusionary zoning ordinance change "would be catastrophic."

"If the new inclusionary zoning regulations came in, we couldn't build residential any more," he said. EssexNorth paid $270,000 into the fund for the high-end 27-unit Twenty Thames development. He said his 24-unit development at 7 India St. wouldn't get built with the 25% requirement.

"Costs are costs," Bateman said, and developers walk a fine line between what a development costs and the payback they have to get from it. "Nothing is going to get cheaper tomorrow." 

Bateman, Cohen and Aftandilian said that increasing the inclusionary zoning requirements would push development out of the city to other growing communities like Biddeford and Westbrook, along with the economic benefits.

More parking needed

"Portland needs to take a look at what some other cities do," Cohen said. He added that, particularly with changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the changes called for in the ballot questions "are just not practical at all."

The panel also said that credit enhancement programs are needed to develop more parking in the neighborhood, as more workers flock to the newly developed buildings.

Cohen said that while the city is trying to find ways to decrease the need for car commuting, any solutions are far down the road.

He's developing a 600-space parking garage at 100 Fore St., but said that more parking is needed in the neighborhood, and developers also need credit enhancements to build them. Most of those come in the form of tax increment financing districts, which return a percentage of a development's tax money for further development.

Developing a 'wasteland'

All three of the developers took a chance on an area that was an industrial wasteland, originally a rail yard, and more recently vacant lots and industrial space. But they said the path to success was paved for them before they got there.

The developers credit Drew Swenson, of Riverwalk LLC, who developed the 720-space Ocean Gateway parking garage on Fore Street, in 2007, and Fred Forsley, founder of Shipyard Brewing Co., on Hancock Street.

"Everyone else saw a brownfield site, deserted buildings and not a lot of promise," Bateman said. The pair, though, cleaned up the area and made development there possible.

Bateman's project encompasses the Shipyard building, where the top three stories will be veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturing; 10 units of housing on Newbury Street; a hotel, which broke ground a year ago; parking under the hotel and Covetrus' 100,000-square-foot headquarters. 

He and Aftandilian said that the form-based zoning in the area, which focuses on how a development fits in with what's around it rather than requiring certain elements, has made their developments possible.

Projects by all three developers in the neighborhood were designed by David Lloyd, of Archetype Architects. Bateman said while there's a danger of form-based projects being bland, Lloyd managed to design distinct and unique buildings in all the developments.

'We had blinders on'

Aftandlilian is also part of the group that built the Residence Inn on Fore Street in 2009, said the the Ocean Gateway parking garage was a big draw for them to build in the undeveloped area. "We didn't have to add parking," he said.

He also said that, from out of state, "we had blinders on."

"We didn't realize that Franklin Street was the boundary where development stopped," he said.

He said he continues to see development potential in the neighborhood.

Besides the 7 India St. project, he is filling in the remaining lot on the block, 170 Fore St., with what was originally planned as a seven-story, 41,000-square-foot office and retail building, but may now be residential.

EssexNorth also bought the Galt Block on the corner of Commercial and Franklin streets in November for $10.5 million. Aftandilian said developers are seeking approval for mixed uses for the 160-year-old brick building and are also filling in an empty lot next door.

Topsham Care Center big boost for town

When the Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) presented an award to Bateman Partners for a redevelopment project in Topsham, Maine, it called the work “exemplary,” describing it as the embodiment of their belief in responsible real estate development that champions best practices and contributes to Maine’s economic growth. Criteria for winning the award included environmental sustainability, economic impact, energy efficiency, social impact, uniqueness, difficulty of development and job creation.

CLICK HERE if you’d like to read about $16.5 million, 47,000 sq. ft. project, and access a “virtual tour” of the brand new facility.

A podcast about development in Portland, Maine

Greg Boulos recently invited the president of Bateman Partners to participate in a far-ranging discussion about commercial real estate development in Portland, Maine. You can CLICK HERE to access the podcast.

Greg Boulos joined The Boulos Company in 1983. He is a Senior Partner and involved in the sale and leasing of commercial property in the Greater Portland area. He is also a co-developer of over 1M square feet of commercial real estate. Greg has consistent commercial real estate brokerage sales and leasing transactions in excess of $50M per year. His area of specialization is the brokerage of investment properties and tenant representation.

Bateman Partners welcomes first Cambria Hotel to Maine

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(Portland, Maine --- Aug. 27, 2019) – Bateman Partners, LLC, participated in a groundbreaking ceremony yesterday in Portland, along with Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) and Koucar Management, to celebrate construction of the state’s first Cambria Hotel.

(This project is) producing sorely-need tax revenue for schools and municipal services.
— David Bateman, President, Bateman Partners

The hotel will feature upscale amenities that appeal to the needs of modern travelers, including:

  • Indoor-outdoor rooftop bar concept

  • Craft beer selection provided by Shipyard Brewing Co., located next door

  • Dining options featuring locally sourced, freshly made food, local craft beer on tap, wine and hand-crafted cocktails

  • Environmentally conscious “green roof”, with rooftop plants and green spaces

  • Immersive, spa-style bathrooms with Bluetooth mirrors

  • Contemporary and sophisticated guestrooms, complete with modern fixtures, abundant lighting, and plush bedding

  • Covered parking to battle Maine winters

  • 2,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space

  • Outdoor multi-use courtyard

  • State-of-the-art fitness center

“This project, as well as nearby projects for Covetrus and WEX, are creating really good jobs in the city of Portland,” said David Bateman, president of Bateman Partners. “It’s also producing sorely-need tax revenue for schools and municipal services.”

“We’re thrilled that Portland — the quintessential New England town — is one step closer to opening a new Cambria hotel,” said Janis Cannon, senior vice president, upscale brands, Choice Hotels.

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For a report by WGME-TV on yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony, CLICK HERE. The Cambria Hotel Portland will be located at 25 Hancock Street, on the highly sought-after “Peninsula” of Portland, where it will join the historic seacoast town’s vibrant business community. The hotel’s upscale accommodations will be adjacent to the headquarters of publicly traded corporations such as Covetrus and WEX Inc., and provide convenient access to major area employers, such as Maine Medical Center and Mercy Hospital

There are currently more than 40 Cambria hotels open across the U.S. in popular cities, including Chicago; Dallas; Los Angeles; Nashville, Tenn.; New York; New Orleans; Phoenix; and Washington D.C. 

About Cambria Hotels

The Cambria® Hotels brand is designed for the modern traveler, offering guests a distinct experience with simple, guilt-free indulgences allowing them to treat themselves while on the road. Properties feature compelling design inspired by the location, spacious and comfortable rooms, flexible meeting space, and local freshly prepared food and craft beer. Cambria Hotels is rapidly expanding in major U.S. cities, with hotels open in Chicago, New York City, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. There are more than 40 Cambria properties open across the United States, and over 100 hotels open or in the pipeline in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit www.choicehotels.com/cambria

The Cambria Hotel on Hancock Street in Portland, ME will open in 2021.

The Cambria Hotel on Hancock Street in Portland, ME will open in 2021.

Cambria Hotels' first Maine location will be Shipyard's 'brewtel'

BY STAFF (Click HERE for direct link to Mainebiz article.)

Choice Hotels International Inc. (NYSE: CHH) has inked an agreement with Koucar Management to develop a new Cambria hotel in Portland that's slated to open in 2021.

It will be a beer-themed "brewtel" involving Shipyard Brewing Co. and will be Cambria's first hotel in Maine.

Located at 86 Newbury St., on the booming East End of Portland, the 102-room hotel is part of a package of four Cambria hotels in strategic markets that Koucar will deliver in the next year or two, according to a news release.

"Cambria's unique value proposition and overall performance is leading more and more developers to commit to multiple projects, further accelerating the brand's growth in prime locations across the United States," said Mark Shalala, vice president of franchise development and upscale brands for Choice Hotels.

It will be adjacent to the new headquarters for Covetrus (NASDAQ: CVET) and a block from the new headquarters of WEX Inc. (NYSE: WEX). It is also in a key market for leisure travelers, near the Old Port. 

Shalala said Portland is "one of the top revenue-per-available-room markets in the country, thanks in part to record tourism."

Based in Michigan, Koucar Management is one of the largest private real estate developers in the Midwest and has over 25 years of experience in commercial, residential, and hotel development and management.

There are more than 40 Cambria Hotels across the U.S. in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans and Washington D.C. Cambria Hotels will be entering more markets this year, including Boston, Houston and, in California, Anaheim and the Napa Valley.

COURTESY / CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL INC.A rendering of the planned Cambria Hotel in Portland, slated to open in 2021. It will be a beer-themed “brewtel” involving Shipyard Brewing Co.

COURTESY / CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL INC.

A rendering of the planned Cambria Hotel in Portland, slated to open in 2021. It will be a beer-themed “brewtel” involving Shipyard Brewing Co.

More than a quarter billion of high quality value

Construction starts soon!

Construction starts soon!

We’ve been very busy building new taxable value in Maine cities and towns, and now comes this news --- the largest building in the last 25 years on Portland’s peninsula has been approved by the Portland planning board. It’s a 170,000 square foot facility that will serve as national headquarters for Vets First Choice, a company formed in 2010 that is now one of the country’s fastest-growing provider of pharmacy services for animal care. We are developing this facility on Mountfort Street, along with our partners AlliedCook Construction, architect David Lloyd and CBRE/The Boulos Co.

We absolutely must give a special tip of the cap to the planning board, and especially to Lucas Anthony with Gorrill Palmer, the civil engineers on the project who prepared this extremely complex proposal for planning board review. This is by far one of the largest mixed-use real estate projects to be built in Portland, Maine for several decades. The level of detail and professionalism those folks brought to the preparation and review process is impossible to over-state. No doubt the taxpayers of Portland are very pleased that such distinguished expertise is helping to grow the tax base in Maine’s largest city. 

We expect to add more than 1,000 new high-quality jobs in southern Maine and believe this downtown location will be critical towards attracting world class talent.
— Benjamin Shaw, co-founder & CEO, Vets First Choice

We expect construction to start soon. A pharmacy and fulfillment center should be finished by October of next year, then office space, labs and other commercial space should be ready by the end of April, 2020. As a result of this project, Vets First Choice expects to be able to create hundreds of new professional jobs for Maine residents.

If you are just learning about Bateman Partners, we welcome you to our new web site. Since 1979 our partners are responsible for more than a quarter of a billion dollars in high quality development projects, in Maine and New Hampshire. Here’s a list if you’d like to take a look.

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