The Portland Campus Development Project is an element of the University of Southern Maine (USM) Master Plan, and includes the construction of a new Career & Student Success Center, Portland Commons Residence Hall, and Residential Quad.
Project Timeline
| Date Range | Project Milestone |
|---|---|
| June 2017 | Master Planning Committee forms and begins developing master plan |
| June 2018 | Project Initiation and formation of President Cummings P3 Committee, including USM and University of Maine System (UMS) committee members |
| October 2018 |
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| November 2018 | Maine voters approved general obligation bonds, $19 million of which is intended for a new Career & Student Success Center at USM |
| January 2019 |
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| May 2019 | Briefing of Career & Student Success Center and Residence Hall Project to the Finance/Facilities/Technology (FFT) Committee of the UMS Board of Trustees (BOT) |
| Spring 2019 | Brailsford & Dunlavey conduct Market Demand Analysis for student housing in Portland |
| June 2019 |
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| July 2019 |
USM begins work with VHB to study parking supply and demand; begins developing a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan |
| August 2019 |
RFP for Portland Campus Student Housing and Student Center Project is submitted; 4 proposals are received and evaluated |
| November 2019 | Capstone Development Partners is selected through a competitive project process to develop the Career & Student Success Center and Portland Commons Residence Hall |
| Winter 2019 — 2020 |
VHB completes preliminary Parking Analysis, first draft of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan, and first draft of Traffic Analysis |
| Date Range | Project Milestone |
|---|---|
| Winter 2019 — 2020 |
VHB completes preliminary Parking Analysis, first draft of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan, and first draft of Traffic Analysis |
| January 2020 |
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| January – Fall 2020 |
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| March 2020 |
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| July 2020 — Present | City of Portland Planning Board Process |
| Late-September 2020 | USM submits revised TDM plan to City of Portland, incorporating comments from the City, the Planning Board, and the neighborhood |
| November 10, 2020 | University receives site plan approval with a unanimous vote in favor of the project from the City of Portland Planning Board |
| February 24, 2021 | University receives approval from the University of Maine System Board of Trustees with a unanimous vote to spend up to $99.7 million to construct the Career and Student Success Center and Portland Commons Residence Hall. |
| March 22, 2021 | Demolition of the Woodbury Campus Center and Facilities Management building at 25 Bedford Street begins. |
| April 2021 | Excavation of the Portland Commons site begins |
| Spring 2023 (proposed) | Construction to be completed. New Career & Student Success Center, Portland Commons Residence Hall, and Residential Quad will open to students and the University community. |
Project Team
The Portland Campus Development Project is coordinated through ongoing collaboration among University of Southern Maine (USM) and University of Maine System (UMS) offices. The project was established through the work of the President Cummings P3 Committee and continues under the management of the Building Committee. Each committee has worked within UMS policy and procedural guidelines to develop plans for the future Portland campus construction, including communications with, and approval from, the UMS Board of Trustees and City of Portland.
Building Committee
The Building Committee is comprised of personnel representing both USM and UMS:
- Operations/Finance, USM: Alec Porteous (Chair), Chief Operating Officer & Chief Business Officer
- Auxiliary Services, USM: Jeanne Paquette, Vice President, Corporate/Workforce Engagement
- Capital Projects, UMS: Ann Vashon, Project Manager
- Capital Projects, UMS: Carolyn McDonough, Director of Capital Planning and Project Management
- Capital Projects, UMS: Tom Blanchard, Assistant Director of Capital Planning and Project Management
- Facilities, USM: John Souther, Executive Director of Facilities Management
- Finance, USM: Paul Kuplinski, Director of Finance and Administration
- Finance, UMS: Tracy Elliot, Vice President of Finance and Controller
- General Counsel, UMS: Sara Mlynarchek, J.D., Assistant General Counsel
- Residential Life, USM: Christina Lowery, Director of Housing and Residential Life
- Strategic Procurement, UMS: Rachel Piper, Director of Strategic Sourcing
- Student Affairs, USM: David Roussel, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
- Sustainability, USM: Aaron Witham, Assistant Director of Facilities Management for Sustainability
To contact Alec Porteous, Building Committee Chair and USM Chief Operating Officer & Chief Business Officer, or to submit a question to the Building Committee, visit our Contact Us page.
External Partners
Through standard UMS Strategic Procurement policy, the University has issued RFQs and RFPs to contract with several outside organizations who serve as partners in the planning, design, and construction process.
