Director’s Report
Happy Holidays!
As we move into the new year, I’d like to reflect on the continued strong pace of redevelopment growth we are experiencing at the Topsham Commerce Park and Brunswick Landing, formally known as NAS Brunswick. It has certainly been another exciting year. I also want to talk about the future.
Since the former base closed in 2011, the Brunswick/Topsham redevelopment effort has realized some notable milestones, namely: 2,000 jobs have been created by over 135 entities (in multiple sectors) on these two campuses, many of which are new to Maine; the private sector has invested more than $400 million in their businesses and in new construction; and airport operations are at par with Navy’s historical activities, but much quieter now! We have thriving day care centers (kids and puppies) and numerous colleges and education centers on the campus. In addition, we have abundant recreational facilities and significant open space for public use. What is also exciting, is that redevelopment activities on the campuses are serving as catalysts for other development activity outside the former base.
I believe we are delivering on the promises that were envisioned in the development of the Reuse Master Plan; that of becoming an important technology innovation center and a great place to work, live, educate and recreate. With all this momentum, I believe this project can indeed succeed in becoming an important economic and community asset for the Mid-coast region and State of Maine.
These very fortunate achievements are a testament to the many efforts of numerous people and entities, as none of these are realized in isolation, or without significant contributions and partnerships. This wouldn’t work except for the continued support of the towns of Brunswick and Topsham, the State and the federal government. This project wouldn’t be successful without the significant private sector investments that are being made at the former base. This project wouldn’t happen without the support of our external team of contractors, engineers, attorneys, accountants and other professions that extend our staff to effectively manage this effort. Lastly, I have the pleasure of working with the absolute best team of professionals, at both staff and Board levels, who are all dedicated and passionate about this effort.
So, what’s the future look like? We are in the midst of a development boom at Brunswick Landing, with the construction of nearly 250,000 square feet of new office, commercial, manufacturing, aviation hangars and other buildings under way. In addition, 250 new housing units are in the planning stages, with some expected to start construction in the spring. We are also working with several of our current businesses to accommodate their growth on campus and have several really good business prospects in the works, that will be a good complement to Brunswick Landing and the greater community.
As we look into the future, we want to build on our innovation mindset and the efforts we have already started. We want to truly capitalize on this amazing property the Navy left to us. To that end, we have begun a number of new ventures which build on our current initiatives and maximize the established infrastructure and building assets.
- Using our MRRA-owned electric system, we plan to have a fully functioning micro-grid, capable of using 100% on-campus generated power, and with the ability to be a secure energy island;
- Using the world class aviation complex, we plan to be the home of a new state-of-art aviation technician school to support our growing aviation industry in the State and a center of innovation for new age aerospace operations, including autonomous vehicles;
- Building on the success of TechPlace, Brunswick Landing will host a new dedicated biotech and life sciences business incubator;
- Brunswick Landing will be a central facility for mission control operations and R&D for the Maine Spaceport program; and
- Brunswick Landing will possess the infrastructure to become fully 5G capable, which will be critical in supporting these new initiatives.
I’m very excited about the future of Brunswick Landing and look forward to a great 2020 and beyond.
And, don’t forget the return of the Great State of Maine Air Show at Brunswick Executive Airport, featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels (August 15 &16).
MRRA Honors Brunswick Landing’s Top Innovators at Annual Dinner
MRRA named Wayfair and bluShift Aerospace as Brunswick Landing’s most innovative businesses at its annual dinner on October 28th. Wayfair, a Boston-based ecommerce company with more than 500 employees at its Brunswick Landing site, is the winner of the Innovator of the Year in the large company division (more than 11 employees). bluShift Aerospace was named Innovator of the Year in the smaller company (less than 10 employees) category. bluShift has created a new bio-derived, non-toxic, carbon-neutral fuel that is cheaper to produce than other solid rocket fuels. Tom Wright was named Redeveloper of the Year for his innovative work on several different properties at the former Naval Air Station Brunswick. Read more about this year’s winners.
Featured property Building 9
Located at 220 Admiral Fitch Avenue, this 8,888 SF office building is just across the street from the airport. MRRA recently received a grant from the Maine Rural Development Authority (MRDA) to renovate the building. We plan to upgrade the heating and electrical systems, replace windows and re-insulate the building, which overall is in good shape. Most recently, the building served as the Navy’s housing office. It will be available for lease for office or light manufacturing and features an open floor plan. Visit MRRA website for more info.
Blue Dog Daycare Moves Canine Operations to New MRRA-built Building
Blue Dog Daycare recently moved into its new building on the corner of Katahdin and Allagash Drives. Previously, Blue Dog was in two former SeaBee Compound buildings, but moved to make way for the Martin’s Point Healthcare building construction project. Tom Wright, who’s renovated several buildings at Brunswick Landing, was lead contractor on this project. The building is about 6,000 SF and quite striking with its dark blue exterior and dramatic modernist design roof overhang. MRRA constructed this building with the help of a loan from the MRDA. Blue Dog will be hosting an open house on Dec. 14th from noon to 2 p.m.
Brunswick Landing Construction Booming in 2019 With 2020 Expected To Be Even Busier
It’s been a very busy year for new construction and demolition at Brunswick Landing and Topsham Commerce Park. In September, MRRA demolished three buildings in the former SeaBee Compund to make way for a new 54,000 SF medical office building for Martin’s Point Health. In November, MRRA dismantled the old Navy water tower, built 1957, at the former Topsham Annex. The new road – Landing Drive – opened in September to add a east-side connection from Admiral Fitch Avenue to Gurnet Road and the Cook’s Corner area. Bill Moore and Matt Hancock recently completed construction of a new building for All Natural Technologies, which is moving from Building 632. MRRA completed construction of the 15,000 SF box hangar in October. New construction in 2020 will continue to surge with the Martin’s Point project, Wild Oats (see story below), 100 new housing units along Avenue Fitch, and a bank and coffee shop to be built on Bath Road.
Wild Oats Bakery and Cafe Moving to New 19,000 SF Building at Brunswick Landing
Ground was recently broken for construction of a new 19,000 SF building for Wild Oats Bakery and Cafe, which will move from its long-time downtown location at the end of 2020. It will be located on Admiral Fitch Ave., adjacent to Mölnlycke Health Care, the REAL School, and Flight Deck Brewing. Read more about the move in the Times Record.
Airport Traffic Growth Remains Strong; Hangar 7 Completed
Air operations at Brunswick Executive Airport have continued at a record pace this year. Through the end of October, we had recorded more than 22,000 operations for the year. In November, we surpassed the number of operations (22,847) the active duty Naval Air Station Brunswick did in 2005, the year the base was slated for closure and the last year that all the base squadrons were fully operational. We’re on pace for more than 24,000 operations in 2019, a 20% increase from the previous year. The airport opened in 2011, we’ve averaged 12% annual growth in air ops. This growth, plus demand for hangar space, prompted MRRA to build Hangar 7 so that we’re able to accommodate growing number of general aviation aircraft visiting BXM. See photos of the recently completed hangar.
Brunswick Landing Welcomes More New Companies as Space Fills Up Fast
There are now 135 entities doing business at Brunswick Landing and Topsham Commerce Park. Collectively, they’ve created more than 2,000 jobs. Recent arrivals include Maine Today Media, Bright Beginnings Day Care, Cloud MIS, Precision Air, Plant and Flask, and Sammy Dogs. Equally exciting is that many of the existing companies here are in expansion mode. STARC Systems has already outgrown its current buildings (553, 555) and will move into 112 Orion Street next year to accommodate its tremendous growth. Wayfair and SaviLinx, Here Engineering (now Vivid Cloud) are planning to hire more employees and will be enlarging their footprints. American Classic Aviation and Flying Club have taken more space in Hangar 6 for its growing aircraft business. bluShift Aerospace also moved into a larger building recently.
