Merrill's Wharf Cumberland Cold Storage/Pierce Atwood

Portland, Maine

Objective

To renovate the "Cumberland Cold Storage Building", an existing 5-story brick structure to allow for the reuse of the upper floors for office use for the law firm, Pierce Atwood, and to reconfigure existing parking.

BCE Role

Provided civil & site engineering plans, regulatory permitting, stormwater management report, construction documents/administration; Blais Civil Engineers (BCE) was retained to provide civil and site engineering services in preparation for a site plan application.

This project has significantly improved this well-known building along the waterfront and has added considerable activity and interest to this part of Commercial Street without impacting future marine uses on the ground floor. Formerly used for canning molasses in the mid 1800s, the law firm Pierce Atwood currently occupies the upper four floors.

Project Highlights

  • Redirected 10,000 square feet of drainage away from City's combined sewer system 20,500 sq ft building footprint
  • 80,300 sq ft offices and retain the ground floor (approx 20,400 sq ft;) for marine uses
  • 1.56 acre site change of use from warehouse to professional offices on the upper four floors
  • Tree box filters used to capture and treat stormwater runoff before it enters the stormwater drainage system

Related Projects

Keywords: Commercial Site Planning & Design, Redevelopment

Owner

  • Waterfront Maine
  • Brunswick, Maine

Client

  • Carroll Associates
  • Landscape Architects
  • Portland, Maine

Team Members

  • Winton Scott; Architects
  • Gorrill Palmer CE, Inc

Municipal Reference

  • David Margolis-Pineo, City Engineer

Start to Completion Date

  • Nov, 2010 to Sept, 2011

BCE Services Provided

  • Project Management & Research
  • BMP Design & Treatment Calcs
  • Drainage Design & Retrofit
  • Regulatory Permitting
  • Utility Plan
  • Erosion & Sedimentation Control Plan
  • Specifications
  • Construction Services