Building Business: Maine’s builders busy building for themselves

Photo / Courtesy of PM Construction PM Construction built a new headquarters adjacent to the old one in Saco’s Mill Brook Industrial Park.

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By Peter Van Allen

Maine’s building boom in the last few years has been rivaled only by the addition of new space for the contractors themselves.

The latest is MGM Builders, which bought a building where it had been a tenant, at 8 Turning Leaf Drive in Windham. MGM plans to “substantially improve” the building and also add additional rental space, according to Boulos Co.’s John Finegan and Sasha Bogdanovics, who brokered the deal. “[MGM had] been a tenant in the building for several years, and the time was right to invest in a permanent base of operations,” Boulos said.

In Saco, PM Construction has a new headquarters in the Mill Brook Industrial Park. Design of the HQ was led by Archetype Architects, with support from Sebago Technics. For most of the construction period, staffers were able to work in the old headquarters on the same site. The new two-story, 13,500-square-foot building contains a fitness center, training space and multiple conference rooms.

In Scarborough, Landry/French Construction took over a former body shop adjacent to its headquarters.

In Freeport, Doten Construction and Maguire Construction each built new headquarters across U.S. Route 1 from one another.

Not to be left out, WBRC, an engineering firm, plans to move into a former Rite Aid building in Portland.

News from the construction industry

Hardypond Construction of Portland is managing the renovation of the Reiche School on Brackett Street in Portland. Harriman is the architect. Warren Mechanical is a subcontractor.

Sheridan Construction of Fairfield and E.L. Vining & Son Inc. are finishing up construction of the Thomas College Sports Center, which will open this fall. Design was by Portland-based SMRT Architects. The site covers 18,000 square feet and features space for athletics and e-sports programs. The facility was paid for by the Guarantee the Future Campaign and the Thomas Fund.

PM Construction’s recent work is not limited to its own headquarters. It recently finished a renovation of Foundation Brewing Co. in Portland, relocating the break room to make space for a new serving kitchen.

Working in partnership with Developers Collaborative of Portland, framing is underway on the Danforth Street affordable housing site, which will have 30 apartment units and ground-floor parking. And PM is managing renovation of the Sagadahoc County Courthouse in Bath. Updates include a new copper roof and historically accurate wood trim restoration.