The Right Equation for Responsible Development: Spotlight on Maine Savings Amphitheater (Bangor)
Each year, the Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) recognizes some of the state’s most “noteworthy and significant” real estate projects, completed in the previous year. The exemplary projects from across the state, completed in 2023, not only embody MEREDA’s belief in responsible real estate development, but also exemplify best practices in the industry, contributing to Maine’s economic growth by significant investment of resources and job creation statewide.
This year, MEREDA honored projects from Portland to Gardiner to Presque Isle, with each receiving special recognition at MEREDA’s 2024 Spring Conference on May 15th.
In a multi-part series exclusive to the Maine Real Estate Insider, we’ll provide an up-close look at the most notable commercial development projects of the past year that are helping to fuel Maine’s economy in terms of investment and job creation. MEREDA is proud to recognize responsible development based upon criteria including environmental sustainability, economic impact, energy efficiency, difficulty of the development, uniqueness, social impact and job creation.
MEREDA’s 2023 Top 7 recipients include:
University of Southern Maine Portland Commons Residence Hall and McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, Capstone Development Partners (Portland)
Maine Savings Amphitheater, Waterfront Concerts, LLC (Bangor)
Phoenix Flats, Community Housing of Maine (Portland)
Homeless Services Center, Developers Collaborative (Portland)
Northeastland Hotel, Haley Ward, Inc. (Presque Isle)
Johnson Hall Opera House, Johnson Hall Redevelopment, LLC (Gardiner)
The Armature at Hanover Works, Reveler Development (Portland)
Please join us this week in celebrating Maine Savings Amphitheater.
MEREDA: Describe the building and project.
Waterfront Concerts completed their vision of a best-in-class Amphitheater making it the largest and most modern music venue North of Boston. With its completion, Bangor, Maine, in the summer, has solidified its position in the Northeast as a premier concert destination for years to come. Additions include, ten suites, five premium clubs, ADA improvements, improved concessions, terraced seating and two hundred and fifty-two new bathrooms. Their team worked to upgrade every surface, every seat, every touch point for their consumers. They were incredibly careful to use Maine made products and contractors in every aspect of the build where they could to maximize the impact of the build locally.
MEREDA: What was the impetus for this project?
Our teams desire to have world class entertainment and economic development in the Bangor region where most of us grew up.
MEREDA: That sounds like quite a process. How long were you in the planning stages before construction started?
Visioning sessions began with staff from Waterfront Concerts and Ervin Architecture in the winter of 2018.
MEREDA: Tell us about the most challenging aspect of getting this project completed.
Covid. We started the project at the completion of the 2019 season. We paused this project in July of 2020 to protect our staff’s jobs. We resumed construction when mass gatherings were allowed in 2021 in an effort to hold four concerts in 2021. We resumed full time construction in the fall of 2021 and worked every day that there wasn’t a concert and during a few concerts if the artist allowed it until completion in May of 2023 when the space was substantially complete.
MEREDA: Something unexpected you learned along the way was….
We all know the term “supply chain”. Managing this is difficult in construction. The pandemic made it much more difficult.
MEREDA: Now that it’s complete, what feature of the project do you think makes it the most notable?
Fans alike love the improved surfaces and overall improvement of the concert experience, especially viewing from each seat. The ladies love the 252 working bathrooms (66% are ladies rooms) and the attendants that staff them.