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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 Morning Menu Breakfast Event “Opportunity Zones: Bangor Edition – What you Need to Know to Take Advantage of this Opportunity in Real Estate and Beyond”

January 9, 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 breakfast on February 26 from 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM at the Hollywood Casino Bangor to learn more about these complicated new rules. Panelists Andy Smith and Nelson 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 Event: February 26, 2019 - 7:30AM to 9:00AM Hollywood Casino Bangor 500 Main Street Bangor, ME 04101 Breakfast: 7:30 AM Program: 8:00 - 9:00 AM About the Panel: 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: MEREDA Member: $25 each | Non - Member: $35 each Register After February 19: Member: $35 each | Non-Member $45 each Your RSVP is requested by February 19, 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 19, 2019. This MEREDA Morning Menu Breakfast Event is Sponsored by the City of Bangor and Bangor Savings Bank. Click here for more information and to register.

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MEREDA’s Morning Menu Breakfast Event “Everyone Needs an Affordable Home: Building on Housing Solutions That Work”

January 7, 2019

Safe, affordable housing is a basic human need. It can lower stress, bolster health and reduce transiency, enabling children to perform better in school, adults to retain jobs, and neighbors ...

Safe, affordable housing is a basic human need. It can lower stress, bolster health and reduce transiency, enabling children to perform better in school, adults to retain jobs, and neighbors to feel connected and safe. Unfortunately, Maine is experiencing a fundamental mismatch between its housing stock and its housing needs, and that mismatch is creating enormous problems for our families and our state's economic well-being. For tens of thousands of Mainers, the price, quality, size and location of the homes available to them are simply out of synch with their needs and resources. This housing market failure affects wide swaths of Mainers, but seniors on fixed incomes, people with disabilities, and lower-wage workers are particularly affected. Come hear a panel of experts in the housing policy field present the latest data on Maine's affordable housing crisis, its impact on Maine people, and a major new initiative being considered by the state Legislature to increase the rate of production of affordable homes statewide. Join MEREDA for breakfast on February 7 from 7:30 AM - 9 AM at the Portland Regency Hotel for a panel discussion with experts in the housing policy field. Amy Cullen from The Szanton Company will moderate the conversation as our panelists present the latest data on Maine's affordable housing crisis, its impact on Maine people, and a major new initiative being considered by the state Legislature to increase the rate of production of affordable homes statewide. About the Event: February 7, 2019 - 7:30AM to 9:00AM Portland Regency Hotel 20 Milk Street Portland, ME 04101 Breakfast: 7:30 AM Program: 8:00 - 9:00 AM About the Panel: Amy Cullen is a development officer at The Szanton Company, where her responsibilities include financial analysis, performing due diligence on potential sites for projects, completing financing applications, and coordinating with lenders, attorneys, architects, contractors and others on all aspects of The Szanton Company's development projects. Amy also serves as the President of Saco Falls Management, where she is involved with the planning, implementation, marketing and operating strategies for a variety of properties in Maine and New Hampshire. Greg Payne is the Director of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition, a diverse association of more than 135 private and public-sector organizations committed to ensuring that all Mainers are adequately and affordably housed. He is also a developer of affordable rental homes at Avesta Housing, a non-profit housing agency based in Portland. Greg has more than 20 years of experience on issues related to housing and homelessness, and currently serves as the chairman of the board of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Jess Maurer is the Executive Director of the Maine Council on Aging, a broad, multidisciplinary network of more than 75 organizations, businesses and community members working to ensure we can all live healthy, engaged and secure lives as we age in our homes and in community settings. In this role, she advances statewide public policy initiatives, provides leadership within Maine's aging network and supports Maine's Legislative Caucus on Aging. Her areas of specific focus include housing, transportation, workforce, "aging in place" and care across all settings. Dana Totman is the President & CEO of Avesta Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing provider with 45+ years of experience as a leader in affordable housing development and property management in southern Maine and New Hampshire. He has led Avesta through significant growth over the past 18 years, with a focus on staff leadership, cultivating partnerships and opportunities, and organizational change. Dana's career has focused on nonprofit and government management and leadership, specializing in guiding organizations through significant change. Rick McCarthy is the Managing Director of Eaton Peabody Consulting Group, the government relations and economic development affiliate of Eaton Peabody. Prior to joining Eaton Peabody Consulting Group, Rick served as Chief of Staff to several Maine Senate Presidents. He is recognized in the State House as a skilled consensus builder who is well versed on the major public policy issues of the day. His experience in state and federal budget and finance is particularly strong, along with the topics of transportation, housing, and early care and education. Registering for this Event: MEREDA Member: $45 each | Non - Member: $55 each Register After January 31: Member: $55 each | Non-Member $65 each Your RSVP is requested by January 31, 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 January 31, 2019. This MEREDA Morning Menu Breakfast Event is Sponsored by Norway Savings Bank. Click here to register now.

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Maine’s Leading Real Estate Experts to Gather for Economic Analysis of Industry on January 17th in Portland

December 17, 2018

On Thursday, January 17, 2019, nearly 900 of the state’s leading real estate experts will gather in Portland at MEREDA’s Annual Forecast Conference and Member Showcase sponsored by TD Bank. Real ...

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The Right Equation for Responsible Development: Spotlight on 65 Munjoy Street Condominiums

December 4, 2018

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 ...

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. Please join with us in celebrating 65 Munjoy Street Condominiums. MEREDA: Describe the building and project. 65 Munjoy Street Condominiums: 65 Munjoy is a partnership between local Portland developers Peter Bass of Random Orbit and Ethan Boxer-Macomber of Anew Development. 65 Munjoy Street is a three-story, walk-up building offering 8 high-quality and amenity rich condominium units in a range of 1, 2 and 3-bedrooms. 65 Munjoy presents the best of modern design and materials while respecting the traditional architectural forms, organization and massing that characterize Munjoy Hill. Most importantly, 65 Munjoy is a unique and innovative response to Portland’s call for quality and efficient ownership housing created to be affordable to middle-income buyers. While the housing units at 65 Munjoy would appeal to buyers in any segment of the market, they were designed and developed to be sold at reduced price points and made available exclusively to buyers with maximum household incomes at or below 120% of the Portland area median income. MEREDA: What was the impetus for this project? 65 Munjoy Street Condominiums: As Portland has grown in recent years it has actively produced hundreds of new workforce housing units for low-income residents as well as scores of new houses and condominium units for people of higher than average means. However, in that same period, the typical moderate-income resident experienced a concerning decline in affordable housing options. Being Portland residents themselves, Bass (Peter) and Boxer-Macomber (Ethan) had each participated over the years in an ongoing community dialogue about the problem of suppling new housing opportunities for middle-income residents. While this problem had been the topic of much study, discussion, and debate- Peter and Ethan had seen few tangible solutions had come out of the development community. They decided it was time to apply their housing skills and experience toward creating a tangible housing project that would seek to address the problem and perhaps provide a model that could be replicated. MEREDA: That sounds like quite a process. How long were you in the planning stages before construction started? 65 Munjoy Street Condominiums: Before ever starting the project, the developers had spent years contemplating and sketching potential ways to viably create affordable middle-income housing, but it wasn’t until 2014 that a feasible and tangible opportunity presented itself. In that year, The City of Portland released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the sale and reuse of an 80’ x 85’ vacant parcel of land it owned at 65 Munjoy Street. The City’s RFP was crafted in such a way that it required the creation of affordable housing generally, but was wisely left flexible and non-prescriptive in terms of affordability strategy; e.g. apartments vs. condos, level of income targeting, design of units, legal framework for income restrictions, etc. The City’s RFP also offered ways that the City could potentially assist in the creation of affordable housing through both the terms of sale and with various potential forms of soft secondary financing. It was the City’s flexible, non-prescriptive approach to the RFP, combined with flexible finance opportunities that made it possible for the developers to see a feasible path forward towards creating middle-income condominiums. The developers planned and prepared their response in late 2014 and submitted a response to the RFP in January of 2015. The developer’s response was reviewed through a series of public meetings and accepted by the City Council later that year. Through late 2015 and into late 2016, the developers negotiated project costs, financing, and City and State land use and environmental permitting. Construction of 65 Munjoy started in the summer of 2016, was completed in the spring of 2017. The final unit was sold in the summer of 2018. From first consideration to the sale of the final unit, the project took almost exactly 4 years. MEREDA: Tell us about the most challenging aspect of getting this project completed. 65 Munjoy Street Condominiums: Over the 4 years that the developers planned and implemented the project, they experienced numerous challenges such as environmental mitigation, legal and financial terms negotiation with strategic partners, a frivolous NIMBY law suite, escalating material and labor costs, and all of the delay and expense associated with each. While each of these challenges was significant, they were all potential risks that the developers understood and had prepared for. In the end, it was the challenge least expected that turned out to be the greatest…. *See “Something unexpected” below. MEREDA: Something unexpected you learned along the way was…. 65 Munjoy Street Condominiums: When the developers managed to devise a plan that would create hi-quality, highly desirable new units in the heart of Munjoy Hill priced aggressively below market value, the assumption was that all 8 units would probably be under contract before construction ended. In the end, however, only one unit went under contract during construction and it took a full 14-months for the market to absorb the remaining seven. The slow absorption at 65 Munjoy was by no means for lack of excitement in the market. Each passing month the sales team fielded a steady stream of would-be buyers that enthusiastically inquired about the property, scheduled showings, and floated offers. The problem was that the very large majority of inquires hit dead ends with the would-be buyers earning either too little or too much to qualify. Several of the buyers assumed that they would be 120% AMI income eligible but came to find that they were just slightly over income. Others had income soundly below 120% AMI but then struggled to pull together the down payment and loan approvals needed to satisfy their lender. The window of Portland area buyers who who’s earnings were modest enough to meet the income restrictions but high enough to secure financing turned out to be far more narrow than expected. MEREDA: Now that it’s complete, what feature of the project do you think makes it the most notable? 65 Munjoy Street Condominiums: The developers are extremely pleased and proud to have contributed positively to the current urban renaissance of Munjoy Hill following over 60 years of disinvestment, deferred maintenance, and population loss. The 65 Munjoy project addressed pre-existing environmental concerns, added to the social and economic vitality of the neighborhood and created and sustained local jobs while also adding new revenue to the City’s tax rolls. However, despite all of these successes, 65 Munjoy’s most notable feature is clearly the way that it provides precious, one-of-a-kind opportunity for middle-income residents to own a quality new condominium unit on Munjoy Hill at price point they can afford.

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Maine Real Estate & Development Association Appoints Rick Flagg of Norway Savings Bank to Board of Directors

November 1, 2018

The Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) has announced that Rick Flagg of Scarborough, Regional Vice President of Commercial Lending for Norway Savings Bank has been appointed to its ...

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Maine Real Estate & Development Association Announces Gary D. Vogel as Vice President

October 16, 2018

PORTLAND, Maine - The Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) is pleased to announce that longtime member, Gary Vogel of Drummond Woodsum, has been elected Vice President. Currently, Gary ...

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MEREDA’s Morning Menu Breakfast Event – AIA Contracts: Setting the Stage for Success at the Contracts Phase

October 4, 2018

There is no one right or best form of construction project delivery. There are many different ways to structure a construction project from Design-Bid Build, At-Risk Construction Management, Design-Build, and IPD with each approach having corresponding advantages and disadvantages with regard to speed, collaboration, cost, and customization. This panel of industry experts will discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of the most common delivery methods, and offers suggestions as to the types of projects that are best (and worst) for each of these methods. Make plans to join MEREDA on November 8, 2018 from 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM at the Clarion Hotel in Portland to learn about the different ways to structure a construction project, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the most common delivery methods, and suggestions for each. About the Event: November 8, 2018 - 7:30AM to 9:00AM Clarion Hotel 1230 Congress Street Portland, ME Breakfast: 7:30 AM Program: 8:00 - 9:00 AM About the Panel: Kenneth E. Rubinstein is an attorney, and co-chair of the Preti Flaherty construction law practice group. Ken regularly assists owners, contractors, subcontractors and other constituents of the construction industry in negotiating contracts and resolving disputes. When not representing clients, Ken is a member of the AAA panel of construction arbitrator and teaches construction law at Boston University School of Law. Ken is also a regular contributor to ENR magazine. Cordelia Pitman is the Director of Preconstruction Services at Wright-Ryan Construction. With a BA in Physics from Middlebury College and a Master of Architecture from Columbia University, she has over 25 years of experience in the A/E/C industry and is a Registered Architect and a LEED Accredited Professional. Prior to joining Wright-Ryan's team in 2009, Cordelia worked as a Project Architect for over 15 years at Winton Scott Architects, where she gained invaluable experience on many jobs around the state, including the Harlow and Williams Pavilions in Augusta, Maine. Cordelia is also actively engaged in the community. She served on and chaired the City of Portland's Historic Preservation Board for over a decade and has volunteered her time to such other organizations as Architalx, Greater Portland Landmarks, and CEI. Registering for this Event: Click here for more information to register now. Your RSVP is requested by November 1, 2018. 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 November 1, 2018. Ticket Prices: MEREDA Member: $45 each | Non - Member: $55 each Register After November 1: Member: $55 each | Non-Member $65 each Your RSVP is requested by November 1, 2018. 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 November 1, 2018. This MEREDA Morning Menu Breakfast Event is Sponsored by Norway Savings Bank, Preti Flaherty and Wright-Ryan Construction, Inc.

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MEREDA’s Morning Menu Breakfast – Opportunity Zones: What you Need to Know to Take Advantage of This Opportunity in Real Estate and Beyond

October 1, 2018

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, including parts of Downtown Portland, 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 breakfast on December 6 from 7:30 AM – 9 AM at the Portland Regency Hotel to learn more about these complicated new rules. Panelists Andy Smith and Nelson 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 Event: December 6, 2018 – 7:30 – 9:00 am Portland Regency Hotel 20 Milk Street Portland, ME Buffet Breakfast: 7:30-8:00 am Program: 8:00-9:00 am About the Panel: 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 the Event: Click here for more information and to register. Your RSVP is requested by November 29, 2018. 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 November 29, 2018. Ticket Prices: Members: $45 each | Non-Members: $55 ea Prices increase by $10 after October 9 Click here to register for this event. This MEREDA Morning Menu Breakfast Event is Sponsored by Norway Savings Bank, Baker Newman Noyes and Bernstein Shur.

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Join MEREDA for another great “meet-and-greet” opportunity, this time on Portland’s Waterfront!

September 17, 2018

Another great "meet-and-greet" opportunity, this time on Portland's Waterfront, you are invited to the Maine Real Estate & Development Association's (MEREDA's) highly-anticipated Annual Fall Social on October 25th! MEREDA's networking ...

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MEREDA’s Morning Menu Breakfast – On Fertile Ground: The Maine Marijuana Industry

September 13, 2018

The marijuana industry offers enormous opportunities for real estate owners and professionals, but poses unique risks and challenges. MEREDA is pleased to welcome attorneys Ted Kelleher and Hannah King from the law offices of ...

The marijuana industry offers enormous opportunities for real estate owners and professionals, but poses unique risks and challenges. MEREDA is pleased to welcome attorneys Ted Kelleher and Hannah King from the law offices of Drummond Woodsum as they provide an overview of how the Maine medical and recreational marketplaces will function going forward, what kinds of licenses will be available, what the timeline will be for the creation of the new recreational market and what these businesses look like operationally. They will discuss legal issues and concerns for landlords and property owners, including issues specific to the issues around title insurance, property insurance, as well as provide information on how landlords can best protect themselves. Join us for breakfast in Bangor on October 16 from 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM at the Hollywood Casino Bangor for a discussion and presentation on how the cannabis industry has evolved, where things stand today and what the future may hold with regard to rules & regulations. About the Event: October 16, 2018 - 7:30AM to 9:00AM Hollywood Casino Bangor 500 Main Street Bangor, ME Breakfast: 7:30 AM Program: 8:00 - 9:00 AM About the Panel: Hannah King, Attorney, Drummond Woodsum As co-chair of Drummond Woodsum’s regulated substances practice, Attorney King advises tribes across the country and marijuana businesses in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont on marijuana licensing and regulatory issues. She has been involved in drafting proposed legislative changes to Maine’s Marijuana Legalization Act and the Medical Use of Marijuana Program. She is also a member of The ArcView Group, a national cannabis angel investment platform, and serves on the 15 member selection committee, where her responsibilities include vetting investment opportunities in all aspects if the cannabis industry for consideration by ArcView members. Edward (Ted) Kelleher, Attorney, Drummond Woodsum Ted co-chairs the firm’s Regulated Substances Practice, which focuses on consumer products industries with heavy regulatory oversight, in particular brewing, distilling and the newly emerging marijuana industry. Ted is widely recognized as one of the pre-eminent business and regulatory lawyers for marijuana related businesses in New England. He has represented dispensaries, Native American tribes, investors, landlords and property owners and municipalities as they try to navigate the complex and quickly changing world of marijuana laws, regulations and business transactions. A thought leader in this industry, he has spoken widely about marijuana legal and business issues to a variety of civic and business groups. Registering for the Event: Click here for more information and to register. Your RSVP is requested by October 9, 2018. 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 October 9, 2018. Ticket Prices: Members: $25 each | Non-Members: $35 ea Prices increase by $10 after October 9 This MEREDA Morning Menu Breakfast Event is Sponsored by Epstein Commercial Real Estate and Drummond Woodsum.

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