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full size factory of the future building UMO - photo is credited to the University of Maine

MEREDA’s Morning Menu – MEREDA Welcomes Dr. Habib Dagher, Executive Director, Advanced Structures and Composites Center, UMO

November 17, 2025

December 16, 2025 - 8:30 - 10:00 amBuffet Breakfast: 8:30-9:00 amProgram: 9:00-10:00 am Location: McGoldrick Career & Student Success Center35 Bedford Street, Portland, ME About the Event:Dr. Habib Dagher will provide ...

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Nominations Now Being Accepted for MEREDA’s 2025 Notable Project Awards

November 14, 2025

Each year, MEREDA identifies and recognizes the most noteworthy and significant Maine commercial development projects from the previous year, all of which embody MEREDA’s belief in responsible development. Nominations are ...

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Aerial view of Notable Project Receipient Nightingale & State Street Campus Redevelopment

The Right Equation for Responsible Development: Spotlight on Nightingale & State Street Campus Redevelopment (Portland)

November 4, 2025

MEREDA Recognizes its 2024 Notable Project Award Recipients - Each year, the Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) recognizes some of the state’s most “noteworthy and significant” real estate ...

MEREDA Recognizes its 2024 Notable Project Award Recipients - 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 2024, 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 throughout the state, with each receiving special recognition at MEREDA’s 2025 “Notable Night” social celebration in May. 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. Mainebiz also featured each of our Notable Project Recipients in their inaugural “Groundbreaking Maine” publication. Be sure to check it out! https://www.mainebiz.biz/special-edition/groundbreaking-maine-2025 MEREDA’s 2024 Top 9 recipients include: Firehouse Village, Firehouse Ventures & Avesta Housing (Scarborough) 99 Western Apartments, Mastway Development (Augusta) The Malone Family Tower, MaineHealth and Perkins&Will (Portland) Seaport Community Health Center, Penobscot Community Health Care (Belfast) Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument: Tekαkαpimək Contact Station, Elliotsville Foundation (T3 R7 WELS) Vertical Harvest, Vertical Harvest Maine (Westbrook) Stacy M. Symbol Apartments, Westbrook Development Corporation (Westbrook) Nightingale & State Street Campus Redevelopment, NewHeight Group & Redfern Properties (Portland) Front Street Redevelopment, Portland Housing Authority (Portland) Please join us this week in celebrating Nightingale & State Street Campus Redevelopment. MEREDA: Describe the building and project. NewHeight Group & Redfern Properties: Redevelopment of the Mercy Hospital State Street campus into a high-density, mixed-income residential campus featuring 260 new apartments and 9 new homes, a self-storage facility, and several small retail spaces is an excellent example of smart growth. The project involved adaptive reuse of the historic hospital building, creation of outdoor public space in a shared woonerf, improvements to existing utility infrastructure, implementation of a Traffic Demand Management Plan to encourage and support alternative forms of transportation, and provision of a range of housing choice (market rate, affordable, and workforce), both for rent and for sale. In addition, the redevelopment transformed surface parking into housing, recreated the street wall along Winter Street, and stitched back together the neighborhood that had been divided when the hospital was built. MEREDA: What was the impetus for this project? NewHeight Group & Redfern Properties: 2Northern Light Mercy Hospital issued a Request for Proposals in July of 2018. NewHeight Group was invited to respond along with approximately 50 other firms. NHG submitted a proposal in November 2018 with development team members Community Housing of Maine and the Portland Housing Authority. In December of 2018, NHG was one of three teams invited to interview with the selection committee. In January 2019, NewHeight Group’s successful best and final proposal was selected. MEREDA: That sounds like quite a process. How long were you in the planning stages before construction started? NewHeight Group & Redfern Properties: In October of 2019 NewHeight Group executed the Purchase & Sale agreement with Northern Light Health. In December of that year, NewHeight Group entered into an agreement with Redfern Properties to complete the project as 50/50 partners. The acquisition was finalized in February of 2020 (just three weeks before Covid hit!), and the development team launched into rezoning the property, planning, permitting, extension of the period of significance for the existing National Register district, local historic approvals, Part 1 approval from the National Park Service, and hiring Zachau Construction as Construction Manager at-Risk. The project was granted full planning board approval in August of 2021. MEREDA: Tell us about the most challenging aspect of getting this project completed. NewHeight Group & Redfern Properties: This project had myriad challenges. Perhaps the largest was that Mercy Hospital, the primary building, was an operating hospital right up until construction start, so the development team was unable to do any exploratory demolition prior to construction start. The building was known to contain asbestos containing material (mostly pipe wrap), but exactly how much was unknown. The building’s low ceilings also presented significant design and coordination challenges. The project also included undergrounding of existing utilities to make room for three new buildings along Winter Street—an extraordinarily complicated undertaking in this location. MEREDA: Something unexpected you learned along the way was…. NewHeight Group & Redfern Properties: The development team was surprised to discover that what appeared to be original historic wooden columns buried in the walls were in fact made of concrete wrapped in a wooden veneer. While it is less surprising that many people feel a connection to the old hospital building – births, deaths, a long tenure as employee – the overwhelming number of people with a connection was a surprise. MEREDA: Now that it’s complete, what feature of the project do you think makes it the most notable? NewHeight Group & Redfern Properties: Perhaps the most notable element of this project is the woonerf, a Dutch term meaning “Street for Living” which describes a space shared by pedestrians, cyclists, and cars. The woonerf is interior to the block between the historic hospital building now known as the Nightingale, and the two new construction affordable apartment buildings developed by Community Housing of Maine in partnership with the Portland Housing Authority. The woonerf functions as a shared public outdoor space and binds the buildings into a campus. The flush condition of the woonerf, along with landscaping and seating, invites pedestrian use while also allowing for slow vehicle movement and parking.

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MEREDA’s Fall Conference outlines challenges and opportunities

October 28, 2025

Portland, Maine - MEREDA hosted its Fall Conference on October 23rd where nearly 300 real estate professionals gathered at USM’s Hannaford Hall. The focus of the half-day conference was to ...

Portland, Maine - MEREDA hosted its Fall Conference on October 23rd where nearly 300 real estate professionals gathered at USM’s Hannaford Hall. The focus of the half-day conference was to discuss the challenges faced when completing housing projects and to learn about innovative approaches to increasing the number of housing units completed. Housing creation is one of Maine’s most significant needs and MEREDA’s event provided an opportunity for industry professionals to hear different perspectives from local, regional, and national experts on this important and complex issue. “MEREDA is actively working on solutions at the State and local levels,” explained Shannon Richards, founder of Hay Runner and MEREDA’s volunteer president. “This conference is an opportunity for MEREDA members to hear firsthand from peers who are actively involved in the housing effort on a daily basis.” The conference opened with a keynote presentation from Dr. Christopher Herbert, Managing Director of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, who cautioned the audience to be prepared for some gloom and doom. As he explained, there’s no silver bullet for the housing crisis. Home affordability is an issue nationwide with no simple solution. And although the situation here is dire, Dr. Herbert assured the audience that housing isn’t as bad in Maine as it is in other parts of the country. And, he left the audience with the optimistic notion that there are innovative – and feasible -- solutions. The morning continued with a mid-year economic update from Kenneth J. Entenmann, Chief Investment Officer and Chief Economist, NBT Bank/NBT Wealth. Entenmann looked at the impact of tariffs, immigration, taxes and regulation on housing and the overall economy. He sees no sign of a deep dark recession and sees strength in the economy. However, he doesn’t see much that would improve affordability for first-time home buyers. Summing things up, Entenmann said, “Overall, things are less uncertain that a year ago. That doesn’t mean they are all better, but the market does like certainty.” Elizabeth Frazier, Partner at Pierce Atwood, moderated a discussion on municipal challenges faced not only by developers, but also by municipalities. Panelists included Vanessa L. Farr from Haley Ward, Hope Eye from Eastern Maine Development Corp., and Benjamin R.K. Breadmore from the Town of Holden. In that discussion it became clear that with municipal budgets stretched thin, code enforcement officers often carry additional responsibilities, and some ideas were presented to improve the consistency of code enforcement and expediency of permitting. Dr. Herbert returned to the stage to lead a discussion on innovative solutions. The panel included Rebecca Hatfield from Hancock Lumber, Kyle Barker from Primary Projects, and Chris Marshall from GreenMars. The group discussed the pros and cons of a wide variety of housing solutions ranging from modular and panelized construction to tiny homes, condos, single family homes, and co-housing ideas. To make these ideas workable solutions would require some changes both in terms of zoning and expectations of the marketplace. The consensus of the panel was that while not everything will work, it is worth trying new approaches to the development of housing units of all types. With our need for more housing becoming more dire every moment, having collaborative discussions and learning of other creative building solutions is essential for Maine’s future success. MEREDA remains committed to creating the opportunities for experts and novices from all walks of real estate to come together and work together on meaningful solutions that benefit all.

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MEREDA’s 2023 Annual Spring Conference: Solving Maine’s Housing Crisis is May 25th

April 19, 2023

Maine’s Housing Crisis is characterized by a shortage of affordable housing options, a high demand for rental properties, and an increase in housing costs that exceed wage growth. This crisis ...

Maine’s Housing Crisis is characterized by a shortage of affordable housing options, a high demand for rental properties, and an increase in housing costs that exceed wage growth. This crisis is exacerbated by a lack of new construction and an aging housing stock that requires costly renovations to meet modern standards. Additionally, homelessness, lack of workforce housing, and housing insecurity are significant issues, with many individuals and families struggling to find stable housing. From rent-burdened tenants to employee recruitment, homelessness and unattainable housing, Maine’s Housing Crisis is an issue that negatively impacts daily life for all Mainers in one way or another. MEREDA’s 2023 Spring Conference takes a deep dive into Maine's housing crisis through the lens of a diverse group of speakers who will provide their viewpoints and experiences. Check out the great lineup of experts joining us! Save the Date and make plans to join your colleagues and other professionals at MEREDA’s 2023 Spring Conference! We’ll also unveil the 2023 MEREDA Index, as well as recognize our 2022 Notable Project Recipients. In Person OR Virtual. Pre-Registration Required. Where: Holiday Inn By the Bay 88 Spring Street Portland, ME When: May 25, 2023 @ 1:00 - 5:00 PM Registering for this Event: Members: $85 each | Non-Members: $125 each Prices increase by $15 after May 18. Registration Closes at 5:00pm on May 24, 2023. Your RSVP is requested by May 18. Payment is expected at the time of registration. No refunds will be granted to anyone who registers but fails to attend or who cancels after May 18. CLICK HERE for more information and to register. The MEREDA Spring Conference is generously supported by Gold Sponsors NBT Bank and Sebago Technics. Silver Sponsors Mainebiz and Haley Ward. Bronze Sponsors Belfor Property Restoration, Efficiency Maine, Pierce Atwood, Pouliot Real Estate, & Sevee & Maher Engineers.

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Listen Up! The April 2023 Episode of the “MEREDA Matters” Podcast is Now Available!

April 4, 2023

A Conversation with Catherine Culley of Redfern Properties and Erin Cooperrider, NewHeight Group Erin Cooperrider, Principal at NewHeight Group, and Catherine Culley, Co-Founder and Partner at Redfern Properties, sit down ...

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Join MEREDA’s Emerging Leaders Committee for its next Lunch & Learn Event!

March 15, 2023

April 5, 2023 – 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM In-Person – Pre-registration is required. Holiday Inn By the Bay 88 Spring Street Portland, ME Lunch: 11:30-12:00 Program: 12:00-1:00 About the ...

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MEREDA’s Morning Menu: The Inside Scoop on Portland’s Largest Urban Developments Currently in Production

March 10, 2023

April 13, 2023 – 7:30 – 9:00 AM In-Person – Pre-registration is required. Holiday Inn By the Bay 88 Spring Street Portland, ME Buffet Breakfast: 7:30-8:00 am Program: 8:00-9:00 am About ...

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Listen up! MEREDA’s Next Episode of the “MEREDA Matters” Podcast is Now Available!

March 3, 2023

Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall listening in on a conversation between Maine’s real estate industry leaders? Been curious about the people who have put ...

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MEREDA’s Morning Menu: A Peek into Developing Boutique Hospitality in Maine

February 15, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Join us as we discuss the “ins and outs” of developing businesses and real estate in the hospitality industry. As one of the largest contributors to the ...

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MEREDA Recognizes Four Exceptional Individuals for Their Contributions to Real Estate Development and Policy in Maine

February 7, 2023

On January 26, 2023, the Maine Real Estate and Development Association (MEREDA) recognized four exceptional individuals for their significant and lasting contributions to real estate development in the State of Maine. The awards were presented in person at this year’s Forecast Conference at the Cross Insurance Arena attended by close to 800 real estate professionals. Click here to watch the awards ceremony. Josh Fifield was selected for this year’s Robert B. Patterson Jr. Founder’s Award, for his extraordinary commitment and dedication to MEREDA over the years. Fifield is a Vice President of the Business Insurance Department at Clark Insurance, where he works with business owners to identify their risks to help protect their hard work, assets, employees, and most importantly, their families. Active in the community, Fifield has coached a variety of youth sports and has been the Safety Director for Portland Little League. In 2014, Fifield started volunteering with MEREDA as a committee member on the Marketing & Membership Committee. He then joined the Board of Directors in 2017, a year he was also recognized with MEREDA’s Volunteer of the Year Award. Over the years, Fifield has also co-chaired the Membership Committee and recently served as President from 2020-2022. It was his steady hand that guided the organization during a time of unprecedented uncertainty and upheaval. Even with those challenges, in Fifield’s tenure, MEREDA saw financial stability and growth in membership. He continues to serve on MEREDA’s Membership and Executive Committees. MEREDA is grateful for Fifield's unwavering dedication and leadership! The MEREDA Public Policy Award is presented each year to an individual whose efforts have made a significant impact on public policy changes that benefit responsible real estate development and ownership in Maine. This year we recognize Senator Matt Pouliot for his leadership in housing creation policy, and for his support of MEREDA’s efforts. Senator Pouliot has been a steadfast supporter of MEREDA policy priorities, including his help in maintaining the Maine Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, his support for the establishment of a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (CPACE) program, his vote for the 2022 Housing Act, and his sponsorship of two MEREDA priority legislation items for the 131st Legislature. Additionally, Senator Pouliot has recently risen as a leader in bipartisan discussions about smart public policy to help curb Maine’s housing crisis. Last fall, he served on the Legislature’s recent Commission to Increase Housing Opportunities in Maine by Studying Land Use Regulations and Short-term Rentals – the final report of which is the starting point for the work of the new Joint Select Committee on Housing, which Senator Pouliot was instrumental in establishing. Senator Pouliot is also a leader in real estate sales and development in Kennebec County and beyond. Most notably, he has helped revive the historic Water St. corridor in Augusta through redevelopment of downtown properties, including the New Purington Brothers Block, which won a 2022 Maine Historic Preservation Award. His support for responsible real estate development, approach to policy making, and service as a leader both in the legislature and in his hometown of Augusta make Senator Pouliot a clear choice for this year’s Public Policy Award. The Volunteer of the Year Award is awarded to those who generously share their time, talents, and energy with MEREDA. This year we honor the contributions of Ben Brennan. Ben Brennan is a Senior Sales Executive for KONE Elevators, located in South Portland. Responsible for new equipment business development and project management, Brennan partners with stakeholders of new and existing real estate developments in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts. With MEREDA, Brennan was an active and engaged participant on DevelopME's Committee early on, which led to him serving as co-chair from 2020 - 2022. In this role, he worked to engage membership and create professional development opportunities within the organization for the next generation of industry professionals. In 2021, Brennan started serving on MEREDA’s Board of Directors, where his can-do attitude and interest in MEREDA’s initiatives became even more evident. More recently, he joined the Local Issues Committee, and demonstrated his commitment by asking to become co-chair! Brennan is happy to lend a hand when asked and has become a great addition and vocal advocate of MEREDA. MEREDA looks forward to working with him for many years to come! The President’s Award is given by MEREDA’s current President, Craig Young of The Boulos Company, in recognition of someone who has made significant contributions on MEREDA’s behalf. This year’s President’s Award goes to Shelly Clark, for her enduring contributions to MEREDA. Clark started with MEREDA in January 1997. That year the Forecast Conference had only 105 people in attendance. Clark has helped grow that event and MEREDA into what it is today. Now, serving as MEREDA’s Executive Director, Clark manages all day-to-day operations, including coordinating educational programs, managing membership development, and providing support for board and committee activities. During the pandemic, Clark went beyond the call of duty. Working from home, she kept the organization going. She was there to help everyone who needed it, from planning online events to supporting membership efforts. In short, you simply cannot think of MEREDA without thinking of Shelly Clark. She is literally the heartbeat of this organization, and has been for more than 25 years. Clark has been a vital colleague to a dozen MEREDA Presidents. As part of the award tribute, a few recent past presidents echoed Young's praise for Clark and shared their thoughts in a brief video. Clark is originally from Houlton and proud of her roots in The County. Always a hard worker, she recalls waking up at 4am picking potatoes at the age of 7 so she could get the “Dorothy Hamill'' haircut at the Bangor mall. She now lives in Portland with her husband Alan. Clark has always said that she has the best job in the world and that if she weren’t doing this she’d be singing and touring with a band. MEREDA is so lucky to have Clark as our lead singer…she does it all, she does it well, and we simply couldn’t get along without her. MEREDA congratulates these four exceptional members, and thanks every volunteer whose contributions of time and talent make the association’s continued success possible. Below: MEREDA President, Craig Young, Ben Brennan of KONE Elevators, Shelly Clark, MEREDA Executive Director, Josh Fifield, Clark Insurance, Senator Matt Pouliot.

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MEREDA Kicks Off 2023 With Its Forecast Conference

January 10, 2023

On Thursday, January 26, 2023, leaders from across Maine’s real estate industry will gather for the Maine Real Estate & Development Association’s (MEREDA’s) Forecast Conference and Member Showcase. This annual event will take place at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, and can also be streamed online. Is the housing market cooling down? How has inflation impacted the retail market? Is the industrial sector still booming? Anyone curious about these questions and what industry experts see for the future of Maine’s real estate economy will find the Forecast Conference a day full of insight and thoughtful presentations. “The Forecast Conference kicks off the year in a great way,” shares MEREDA President Craig Young. “It’s where you have meaningful conversations, learn from other professionals, and connect with the people in our state who are driving responsible development. There’s no other place to be on January 26th!” MEREDA’s Annual Forecast Conference is geared towards builders, developers, brokers, attorneys, architects, engineers, municipal leaders, bankers, and accountants, to name a few. Continuing Education credits will be available. Along with presentations from real estate leaders across various sectors and a keynote address on housing policy from Greg Payne, a Senior Advisor at the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, the conference will also include a member showcase with exhibitions from local businesses. MEREDA’s mission is to promote responsible development in the state of Maine and is why they work hard to provide opportunities for people to learn and connect with other industry professionals. According to Shelly R. Clark, MEREDA’s Executive Director, MEREDA’s Forecast Conference will be held at the Cross Insurance Arena on January 26 from 9am to 5pm. The event will also be available online. Registration is available at MEREDA.org. Event sponsors include, TD Bank, Mainebiz, The Downs managed by Maine Properties LLC, Bangor Savings Bank, FirstPark Business Park, Haley & Aldrich, Landry/French Construction, Partners Bank, and Pierce Atwood. REGISTER TODAY!

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Listen up! MEREDA Launches New Real Estate Podcast: “MEREDA Matters”

January 10, 2023

Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall listening in on a conversation between Maine’s real estate industry leaders? Been curious about the people who have put ...

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REGISTER TODAY! MEREDA’s Signature Event is January 26, 2023

January 3, 2023

MEREDA's 2023 Annual Forecast Conference & Member Showcase will be held in-person at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Join us and the top minds in real estate for MEREDA's ...

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