The new UMaine field hockey complex is part of the University of Maine's transformative $110 million athletic facilities master plan. (UMaine rendering)
Construction continues to progress at the 110,000-sq.-ft. University of Maine (UMaine) Field Hockey Complex in Orono, with a scheduled opening now slated for August.
The facility will feature a top-tier synthetic turf playing surface with irrigation, bleacher seating for up to 500 fans and a new two-story press box flanked by spacious team areas.
UMaine Athletics reported on its website June 29 that installation of the facility's new grandstand and press box is now complete. Included in the grandstand is a center section that features stadium seating, dedicated ADA and companion seating, and three points through which to enter and exit the bleachers. The new press box includes a storage room on the first floor, two dedicated rooms inside the space and a camera deck covered by a canopy.
In mid-June, contractors laid a porous pavement on the playing field, described by the school as "a special type of surface used at top-tier Division I universities to help maintain a firm [structure] while allowing water to freely drain." Over it will be a thin runner layer and turf with "Maine" branding to complete the field's construction.
Work also has begun on the complex's sidewalks, including new concrete pads in the team areas, and within the grandstand pavilion.
The new UMaine field hockey complex is part of the university's transformative $110 million athletic facilities master plan. The initiative honors Harold Alfond's legacy of support for the school's education and athletics programs by providing modern facilities for all 17 varsity sports at the state's only Division I athletic program and improving the overall UMaine student experience.
In October 2021, the Harold Alfond Foundation announced a historic $500 million investment in Maine and its people. The University of Maine System is to receive $240 million over 10 to 12 years, including $90 million in support for UMaine's athletics facilities.
Evergreen Credit Union Breaks Ground On Scarborough Branch
Portland, Maine-based Evergreen Credit Union broke ground in June on a new branch office at 617 U.S. Highway 1 in Scarborough, with a plan to be open for business by next spring 2024.
Mainebiz reported June 26 that the financial services building will encompass 3,000 sq. ft. with two drive-through lanes and one for ATM access.
"We are very excited about coming to Scarborough and especially to the Dunstan Corner area," said Jason Lindstrom, Evergreen's president, and CEO, at the construction kickoff. "There aren't any financial institutions in this part of Scarborough, and we look forward to serving the community here along with the nearby communities of Old Orchard Beach and Saco."
Gawron Turgeon Architects and Risbara Brothers Construction Co., both of Scarborough, have been contracted for the project, according to Mainebiz.
Evergreen's latest groundbreaking is part of an expansion that in 2022 included approval by the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions of the member-owned credit union's application for new territory in Androscoggin, Lincoln, Oxford and Sagadahoc counties.
Besides its Portland headquarters, Evergreen operates branches in Naples, South Portland and Windham in addition to a commercial banking center in Westbrook, Maine.
With assets of more than $515 million, Evergreen ranks fifth among Maine-based credit unions. The financial cooperative was founded in 1951 to serve employees of the S.D. Warren Paper Mill in Westbrook and has since grown to service six counties in the southern part of the state.
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