Coastal Enterprises Incorporated, or CEI, has signed a purchase option agreement to purchase properties in Brunswick. Their plan is to consolidate their Wiscasset and Portland operations into one building on Federal Street in Brunswick by 2015.
The purchase option includes the Brunswick Police Department Building and the Brunswick Recreation Center for a purchase price of $300,000.
According to John Egan, CEI Director of Housing and Development, the company plans to demolish both buildings and build a 20,000 square foot office building.
The work to take the buildings down will begin in April 2014, because the new locations for the police department, town offices, and the recreation center will not be completed until March 2014. CEI is expected to take ownership of the properties in April 2014.
Because of the purchase option agreement, CEI will have site control, and will begin the necessary property testing to develop building design, and work with the town planning board through the permitting process.
According to Egan, he believes the construction time for the new building will be about eight to nine months, bringing the relocation of the Wiscasset and Portland offices together in January 2015.
CEI employs 40 to 50 workers in Wiscasset, according to Egan, most of those employees will be transferred to Brunswick, however, a small staff is expected to remain in Wiscasset.
Wiscasset Town Manager Laurie Smith said Tuesday morning, “We are certainly disappointed to hear that CEI is leaving the village. We understand their need to re-locate to a location that is best for business. They have been a great asset to Wiscasset, and they will be missed.”
CEI owns three properties on Water Street in Wiscasset, the former Haggett’s Garage, Port Wiscasset Building, and the building next to Port Wiscasset is also owned by CEI. According to Egan, it is unclear at this point what the company will do with these properties. “We have been focused on obtaining the Brunswick properties,” he said.
CEI also owns the Deer Ridge Apartments on Route 218, and Egan said this property will not be affected by the move.
CEI was founded in 1977, by its current President Ron Philips. It is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit private community development corporation whose mission is to create economic growth in the communities they serve. Further information on CEI, projects and their accomplishments is available on their website http://www.ceimaine.org.
