The Edge at Berwick passes key hurdle to move ahead
Courtesy / Great Falls Construction
Renovations have started on this commercial building that will house a diverse group of businesses such as a dental office, a market/butcher, a fitness center or a coffee shop.
The Edge at Berwick, a $50 million, mixed-use project that will feature residential and commercial space, got approved by the Berwick planning board earlier this month, marking one of the last hurdles to the development’s progress.
The mixed-use development is planned for the site of the former Prime Tanning factory, an 11-acre property on Sullivan Street.
Great Falls Construction of Gorham, the developer of the project, said it still needs a Department of Environmental Protection permit before starting construction on the larger phase of the property that will become multi-unit housing and commercial space.
"It's a huge accomplishment to be here. Getting local approval is really exciting," said Julie Smith, development director for the Edge at Berwick.
The project, which is expected to begin in the spring and take three to five years, will provide about 260 units of housing and 37 units of commercial space to anchor the revitalization of the downtown village while preserving Berwick’s rural, small town character.
Great Falls Construction said the project will feature market-rate residential units, including studio, and one and two-bedroom units.
Construction has started on the renovation of an existing 17,500-square-foot building on the property that will be a commercial building that will house a diverse group of businesses such as a dental office, a market/butcher, a fitness center and a coffee shop. Those renovations are expected to be completed in late spring, Smith said.
“The development should fit in with what makes Berwick a special place to live and work in. It should feel like it has always been there and belongs there. I am confident Great Falls Construction is up for the task to make that happen,” said Berwick Town Manager James Bellissimo. “The Edge has the potential to completely reshape the area.”
To help the project, Berwick created a 20-year tax increment finance district (TIF) and a credit enhancement agreement with Great Falls Construction, which is estimated to invest $50 million into the project, according to a report by the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission and the New England District Council of the Urban Land Institute.
The former Prime Tanning site housed various manufacturing operations and dates back to 1877. Prime Tanning closed the leather making mill in 2008 and filed for bankruptcy.
In 2014, a group called Envision Berwick developed a plan that called for a community-centered, walkable downtown. In 2016, Berwick worked with the Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission to clean the site as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s brownfields environmental clean up program. In 2019, Great Falls Construction purchased the site.
“For the remnants of a former industrial site to go from a blighted eye sore to a vibrant, mixed-use development will not only provide a place of pride worth going to for our community and neighbors, it will over time build a much needed tax base for our community and truly has the potential to positively influence the broader surrounding area in many tangible and intangible ways,” Bellissimo said.
Most Recent
Most Recent
3+ Years from purchase to approval from most of the various entities involved. This is why there is no real affordable housing in this area. The cost of carrying that debt load is a factor in what the ultimate pricing of those residential units will be- either rental or for sale. Mainers have to get better at this or there will never be truly any affordable housing
That looks like a great project. A perfect use of a TIF to overcome the financial hurdles of redeveloping a blighted mill site. Every community could use more mixed-use and Great Falls does exemplary work!
2 Comments