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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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Make Plans to Join MEREDA on June 4 to Learn About the State of Housing in Bangor

May 1, 2019

Housing has become a large topic of conversation in service center communities across the state. Businesses, families and individuals are being impacted by Maine’s recent economic trends; rising construction costs, rental affordability challenges and limits on the supply of both market and affordable housing options are hampering communities in different ways. An overview of recent portfolio sales of apartment properties, in the Bangor market, will be presented. In addition, a regional summary of multi-family housing development will be provided. Make plans to join us in Bangor on June 4th at Hollywood Casino to learn about Bangor’s recent months long study of its housing issues and hear about what City officials and area partners are doing to impact the supply, quality and affordability of housing in the Queen City. About the Event: Download the Event Brochure June 4, 2019 - 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. Hollywood Casino Bangor 500 Main Street Bangor, ME Buffet Breakfast: 7:30 - 8:00 a.m. Program: 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Our Presenters: Philip S. Drew, City Assessor has been serving in his current position since January 2015. He is responsible for all aspects of the day to day operation and long term planning of the Assessing Department, managing the departmental personnel, and conducting assessments of personal and real property for the City of Bangor. Philip currently, serves as a board member of the Maine Chapter of the International Association of Assessors. Philip lives in Glenburn with his wife Mary. Jeff Wallace, a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy, has worked for the City of Bangor for ten years. During the first nine years he managed the City’s home repair program; said program provided low interest loans to Low to Moderate Income homeowners to complete needed repairs. He has been a certified Code Enforcement Officer since 2014 and the Director of Code Enforcement since April, 2018. He lives in Bangor with his wife Kristen and two children, Zachary and Sarah. Jason Bird is the Housing Development Director for Penquis. Jason oversees an existing portfolio of over 300 units of affordable housing in the Eastern Maine region and is responsible for developing new affordable housing and acquiring existing rental housing properties. Before joining Penquis, Jason worked for 10 years doing community and economic development at the municipal and regional levels. Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Masters of Public Administration, both from the University of Maine. He currently serves on the Board of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition. Registering for this Event: Click Here to Register Now Your RSVP is requested by May 28, 2019. 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 28, 2019. Ticket Prices: Members: $25 each | Non-Members: $35 ea Prices increase by $10 after May 28, 2019 MEREDA's Morning Menu Breakfast "The State of Housing in Bangor" is sponsored by Bangor Savings Bank, Bowman Constructors and the City of Bangor.

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MEREDA is Proud to Host its 7th Annual “Strikes for Scholars” Fundraising Event at Bayside Bowl in Portland on May 23

April 20, 2019

MEREDA is proud to host its 7th Annual "Strikes for Scholars" Fundraising Event at Bayside Bowl in Portland on May 23, 2019. "Strikes for Scholars" supports scholarships for Maine students pursuing studies in building trades, ...

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MEREDA Celebrates Real Estate Development in Maine: Six Development Teams to Earn Recognition

April 10, 2019

Augusta, Boothbay Harbor, Topsham, Portland, Waterville, and Westbrook projects to receive awards from Maine Real Estate & Development Association on May 7 The Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA), ...

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The Top 6 Notable Projects for 2018 have been chosen!

April 9, 2019

Make plans to join us on May 7th as we recognize these developments at our 2019 Annual Spring Conference. MEREDA will also unveil the latest edition of the "MEREDA Index". Dr. Charlie Colgan's report ...

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Join us in Lewiston on April 23 for the Last of our 3 Opportunity Zones Breakfasts

March 19, 2019

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act created a bi-partisan tax incentive program based on economically distressed Opportunity Zones. Investors in Qualified Opportunity Zone businesses now have the ability to defer, and to some extent eliminate, recent capital gain income, by properly investing their gain proceeds. Gov. LePage has designated 32 Opportunity Zones in Maine ranging from Saco to Madawaska, which opens the door for real estate developers pursuing projects in these designated areas to tap into a whole new group of tax savvy investors. Join MEREDA for the last of its three informational breakfast events, this time in Lewiston at DaVinci's Eatery on April 23, 2019 from 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM to learn more about these complicated new rules. Once again, panelists Andy Smith andNelson Toner will offer insights about how the legislation will impact the real estate industry and the tax advantages available to investors in Opportunity Zone projects About the Panelists: For more than 30 years, Nelson Toner has practiced law at Bernstein Shur providing tax planning, estate planning and business succession planning to individual and business clients. Prior to working at Bernstein Shur, Nelson worked in the tax department at the Boston office of Grant Thornton, an international accounting firm during the halcyon days of pre-1986 real estate syndications. Nelson gives many local and state seminars, including a regular presentation at the Maine Tax Forum each autumn, and for many years taught Estate and Gift Tax at the Maine Law School. He also writes the S Corporation column for the Journal of Passthrough Entities, a national tax publication. Nelson earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Trinity College (Hartford), a JD degree from Case Western Reserve University, and an LLC in taxation from Boston University. Andrew Smith is a principal at Baker Newman Noyes, specializing in assisting his clients with practical advice and creative solutions to their most challenging business issues, including tax efficient structures for business transactions; fixed asset analysis; succession planning; and tax deferral and reduction strategies. He also works with real estate clients of all sizes on cost segregation studies, like-kind exchanges, and historic rehabilitation credits. In addition to serving clients, Andy is also actively involved in the firm’s college recruiting initiatives, having begun his career at the firm in 1997 as an intern and leads the tax department’s Multi-Generational Business group. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with concentrations in accounting and finance, from the University of Maine, Orono. Registering for this Event: Click here to register for this event Your RSVP is requested by April 16, 2019. 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 April 16, 2019. Ticket Prices: Members: $25 each | Non-Members: $35 ea Prices increase by $10 after April 16, 2019 This MEREDA Morning Menu breakfast is sponsored by Norway Savings Bank

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Make Plans to Join MEREDA on April 10 to Learn About Portland’s Economic Growth in the East End Over the Last Ten Years

March 14, 2019

Come learn about Portland's economic growth in the East End over the last ten years, including the public-private sector partnerships which support it. In 2004, the Portland City Council approved ...

Come learn about Portland's economic growth in the East End over the last ten years, including the public-private sector partnerships which support it. In 2004, the Portland City Council approved a plan for the eastern waterfront of the city that proposed a new street grid, redevelopment of the old Portland Company site, and a mix of uses and buildings to integrate with the historic fabric of the area. Since that time, the City has completed new zoning for the area, and a new Comprehensive Plan that sets a framework for growth. Hear from City officials about how this work proceeded from planning, to action, to partnership, and how the City continues to work to manage the impacts of development through innovative strategies to manage mobility, parking and quality of life issues. Make plans now to join MEREDA on April 10, 2019 from 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM at the Clarion Hotel in Portland. About the Panelists: Jeff Levine, AICP, has been involved with land use and economic development planning on the local and regional level for 20 years. In Portland, he has built a team that has led projects such as Portland’s Plan 2030; development of a form-based code for the India Street neighborhood; creation of an inclusionary housing ordinance and robust Housing Trust; and other changes to operations and local ordinances to promote a sustainable city. Before coming to Portland, he was the Director of Planning & Community Development for Brookline, MA, where he managed the completion of the town's award-winning Comprehensive Plan and a public realm plan for the Route 9 corridor into Boston. Previously, he worked as the Director of Transportation & Long Range Planning for the City of Somerville, MA, and as a regional planner for the Cape Cod Commission. A New England native, he has been involved in a number of land use transformations, including the redevelopment of the Assembly Square district in Somerville; planning for the introduction of a new light rail transit line in Somerville; and redevelopment of John Kennedy’s boyhood church into a mixed-income housing development in Brookline. Jeff has also been involved in Metropolitan Planning Organizations in Boston, on Cape Cod, and in Portland. Jeff is an adjunct faculty member at the Muskie School of Public Service, and was previously an adjunct at Tufts University, at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and at the APA Planning Leadership Institute. He has a degree in economic development planning from the University of Minnesota and an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University. Greg Mitchell has over thirty-five years of economic development work experience in public and private sectors including non-profit organizations located in South Florida and throughout Maine. He has been the Economic Development Director for the City of Portland for ten years. His present work involves business recruitment and retention, advocacy of business interests in City government, marketing, lead negotiator with economic development projects and City real estate transactions. Greg has degrees in business administration and economics from Norwich University and Florida Atlantic University. Registering for this Event: Click here to Register Now Your RSVP is requested by April 3, 2019. 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 April 3, 2019. Ticket Prices: Members: $45 each | Non-Members: $55 each Prices increase by $10 after April 3, 2019 MEREDA's Morning Menu Breakfast Series is sponsored by Norway Savings Bank.

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The Future of Home Buying

March 12, 2019

Dava Davin, Principal, Portside Real Estate Group Will technology make real estate transactions a whole lot easier? The number of single-family home transactions in Maine has been flat for the ...

Dava Davin, Principal, Portside Real Estate Group Will technology make real estate transactions a whole lot easier? The number of single-family home transactions in Maine has been flat for the last three years and is not expected to increase any time soon. This is a reflection of the economy, age of Mainers, and an inventory shortage. But could it also be that buying and selling homes is a royal pain in the rear for most people, preparing their homes for strangers to walk through, tons of paperwork, and the terrifying unknowns being able to find their next suitable home? With this in mind some companies are trying to shake things up the way Uber disrupted transportation and Netflix changed home entertainment. Let’s take a step out of Maine for a moment. $100 billion of commissions are paid per year in the United States. Residential real estate has been sold the same way for decades, but we are starting to see change in other parts of the country as consumers would like to see a simplified method for transacting real estate. Millennials will account for 45% of buyers in 2019. Millennials, and frankly all consumers want information and action ON DEMAND, they don’t want to leave voice mails or send emails and WAIT, they prefer just to push a button on their phone and take an action. So, an enormous amount of money is being invested into technology to get a bite into the real estate industry and that $100 billion of commissions. The historical void of innovation in real estate has opened a world of opportunity for startups that are attracting billions of dollars from venture capitalists. The VC world is all about PROPTECH (short for property technology) — a relatively new term referring to the sector of startups that create new products or business models for the real estate market. This is the future of real estate market. The players in this space are VERY powerful. Global venture capital investment in real estate innovation was $12.6 billion in 2017. One model the proptech companies have launched is the iBuyer. Sellers can trade in their house on-line! An iBuyer is a company that will make a homeowner an offer on their home online within minutes (or days), sight unseen, using an automated valuation tool. If they choose to accept the price, they can close in as little as a couple of days or pick a convenient closing date. The iBuyers tout the selling experience as quick and easy. No need to paint, stage, repair, clean up, have showings and open houses. Yes, these valuations are less than market value, but for a homeowner that needs to relocate for a job, is navigating a sensitive divorce, or a seller that can’t afford to buy without selling and want to act quickly...this could be the answer! Opendoor, one of the iBuying companies has raised over $1 billion in VC money. Other competitors OfferPad and Knock have also raised quite a bit of money. It is not just startup tech companies investing in iBuyer technology, the traditional real estate players are also bankrolling new technologies. Zillow, Keller Williams, Realogy, and Redfin have developed their own iBuying arms and investing heavily in proptech. Who is using these services? Rental giants that used to gobble up distressed sales to grow their single-family inventory can’t do that anymore as foreclosures have dried up. 1 in 10 homes sold by iBuyers are bought by institutional investors. This number is increasing. It is not just big landlords buying through this method, the tight inventory is causing single family rental investors across the country to look for other methods to find inventory to buy. Rental demand is predicted to stay strong in the next decade. iBuying is still a niche product. If we look at Phoenix, a city with where multiple iBuyers have been operating for years, the sector has only about 4 percent of the overall market. Would this model work in Maine? No, probably not, we have a lot of variety in our housing stock, the values would be difficult to capture without a human visit to the property. But the venture capital money is allowing proptech companies to keep developing a solution to simplify the home buying process. The iBuying model (or another automated option for selling real estate) will gain in popularity. And that appetite will likely only grow as consumers skew younger and are more empowered by technology. It won’t be this exact model, but once the technology is discovered that does catch on, it will be a rapid change - think about quickly Uber changed how we get around and how Amazon changed our shopping experience. It will be exciting to watch and be a part of these changes as technology is infused in residential real estate and if/when it will creep into Maine’s market.

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Thinking Spring? Think MEREDA’s Annual Networking Social on March 21!

March 1, 2019

Make plans now to join us on March 2 at Ri Ra Irish Pub & Restaurant for MEREDA's Annual Spring Networking Social! MEREDA's networking events attract key players in Maine's real estate ...

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Mark Your Calendar to Join MEREDA for Breakfast on March 12 to Discover How the “Transformation of the Retail Experience” is Taking Shape in Maine

February 22, 2019

Rock Row is a transformative 110 acre mixed-use development thoughtfully designed to complement state-of-the-art architecture with the site's unique natural features. Through careful planning, Rock Row in Westbrook, Maine combines healthy urban living, destination retail, modern workplaces, select and full service hotels, diverse entertainment, and chef-inspired dining in a fun, convenient and immersive experience. Mark your calendar to join us for breakfast on March 12 from 7:30 AM - 9:30 AM at the Holiday Inn By the Bay to discover how the transformation of the retail experience is taking shape in Maine. About the Event: March 12, 2019 - 7:30AM to 9:30AM Holiday Inn by the Bay 88 Spring Street Portland, ME 04101 Breakfast: 7:30 AM Program: 8:00 - 9:30 AM About the Panel: Josh Levy, Waterstone's co-founding Principal, is actively involved in all facets of the company including site acquisition, permitting, and development, with a primary focus on Leasing for Waterstone's 50+ shopping center portfolio and developing strategic leasing/development initiatives. Before starting Waterstone, Josh served as Chief Operating Officer of a privately held real estate investment company and was responsible for company operations and its Massachusetts portfolio. A graduate of Boston College, Josh holds a Bachelor of Science degree and has pursued continued real estate education through MIT, Boston University, ICSC and CCIM. He has been a guest lecturer at both Harvard University and Boston College, and is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers, NH ICSC Next Generation Committee, Young President's Organization, and Boston College TREK. Josh is actively involved with the Dakshana Foundation in India and other local Boston organizations. Trip Schneck is an industry-leading expert in specialty food, beverage (F&B) and entertainment procurement. Prior to the acquisition by Cushman & Wakefield, Trip, and his partner, Phil Colicchio, founded Colicchio Consulting where their work has given them a proven track record in the F&B industry in identifying, evaluating, conceiving, selecting, and contracting with food and beverage providers for food halls, hotels and shopping centers among other concepts. Since 2015, they have been at the forefront of "The Food Hall Movement"', advising property owners and universities on the critical need for intelligently programming communal spaces to include authentic food and beverage offerings, markets, beer gardens, rooftop experiences and thoughtfully curated Food Halls. In 2017, they expanded to include the development of live performance. Registering for this Event: MEREDA Member: $45 each | Non - Member: $55 each Register After March 5: Member: $55 each | Non-Member $65 each Your RSVP is requested by March 5, 2019. 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 March 5, 2019. This MEREDA Morning Menu Breakfast Event is Sponsored by Norway Savings Bank and Waterstone Properties. Click here for more information and to register.

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Join DevelopME for a “Lunch & Learn” Seminar titled “Building a Career In Real Estate”

February 19, 2019

Join DevelopME on Thursday March 7, 2019 at the Portland Public Library from 11:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m. for their latest Lunch and Learn event, “Building a Career In Real Estate” to ...

Join DevelopME on Thursday March 7, 2019 at the Portland Public Library from 11:30 a.m.—1:00 p.m. for their latest Lunch and Learn event, “Building a Career In Real Estate” to hear three industry veterans answer questions about how they navigated their careers in the pine tree state. Josh Fifield of Clark Insurance will moderate the discussion and we will hear from Kim Twitchell, Maine Regional President at NBT Bank along with Roxane Cole, Managing Member/Commercial Broker at Roxane Cole Commercial Real Estate, and Erin Cooperrider, Partner at the New Height Group and Development Strategist at Community Housing of Maine. About the Panelists Josh Fifield is currently a Senior Account Executive at Clark Insurance, a 100% Employee Owned Company headquartered in Portland ME, where he partners with businesses to offer customized commercial insurance solutions. Josh draws from over 15-years of experience in the insurance industry, having worked on both the agency side and carrier side as an underwriter at MEMIC. Josh serves as a director on MEREDA’s Board and co-chairs MEREDA’s Marketing & Membership committee. As a community leader, Josh serves as a director on the Maine Real Estate Development Association (MEREDA) Board and co-chairs MEREDA’s Marketing & Membership committee. He is also a board member for Portland Little League and Vice Chair for Town & Country Federal Credit Union. Roxane Cole is an entrepreneur. After graduating from the University of Maine at Orono she taught school briefly but found her strong interest was entrepreneurial ventures. At age twenty-five she founded and co-owned a chain of retail stores and a mail order business which she sold before entering the field of commercial real estate. In February 2010, after decades as a commercial broker, she founded the firm Roxane Cole Commercial Real Estate. With her 30 years of experience as a commercial broker, Roxane has made an indelible impact on Maine’s real estate industry and MEREDA. Roxane has been an active member of MEREDA’s Board of Directors since 2003, having served as president from 2006-2008 and recently received MEREDA’s 2018 President’s Award. Erin Cooperrider is a partner at NewHeight Group, a Portland-based development firm and Development Strategist for Community Housing of Maine, a 25-year old non-profit affordable housing developer also based in Portland. In her work with NewHeight Group, Erin manages permitting, financing, and the construction process. During her tenure at CHOM, Erin helped to grow the organization’s asset base from $7 to more than $60 million. Before joining CHOM in 2002, Erin worked in commercial real estate development in Maine, and asset management and real estate development consulting outside of Maine. Erin was a co-founder of The Signal Group, a 23-year old real estate services company based in Portland, Maine. She serves on the Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. Erin received her undergraduate degree from Duke University and her graduate degree from Stanford University. Kim Twitchell, Maine Regional President at NBT Bank has approximately 30 years of experience in commercial banking in Maine, with the last 20 focused primarily in commercial real estate. Kim started her career as a commercial analyst with Fleet National Bank in 1989 and spent 17 years with Fleet/Bank of America before joining TD Bank in 2006 as a senior lender and commercial real estate manager. Kim joined NBT Bank in November 2014 as their Regional Commercial Banking Manager and is currently the Regional President for NBT’s Portland, Maine operation and is board member of MEREDA, Avesta Housing Development Corporation and Community Housing of Maine. Registering for this Event Your RSVP is requested by February 28, 2019. 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 February 28, 2019. Ticket Prices: Members: $15 each | Non-Members: $25 ea Prices increase by $10 after February 28, 2019 Click here to register for this event now.

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