Sebago Technics was chosen by Cianbro Constructors, LLC and Penobscot River Holdings, LLC to lead the design and permitting of this module fabrication facility on the former Eastern Fine Paper Mill site in South Brewer.
Originally established as a lumber mill in 1771, this 39-acre site at the confluence of Sedgeunkedunk Stream and the Penobscot River was utilized for papermaking since the late 1800s. When Eastern Fine Paper closed the mill in January 2004, the City of Brewer actively pursued several redevelopment options for the site. Centuries of contamination due to chemical and petroleum spills led to the site being designated as a Brownfields site by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Cianbro Constructors, LLC and Penobscot River Holdings, LLC saw the site as an opportunity for a module fabrication facility, where unfinished materials such as steel girders, piping, and electrical wiring are fabricated into building components that are shipped and then assembled into a finished project. Module fabrication is a common method of construction for facilities in the pharmaceutical, papermaking, and petrochemical industries and is becoming increasingly common in smaller scale construction projects in the transportation and marine industries, as well as commercial and residential building applications.
The project design includes a heavy-duty internal road network, structural surfaces for manufacturing, stormwater management facilities, and site utilities. Balancing earthwork volumes in order to minimize cost was an important design criterion made challenging by the environmental remediation constraints. The design and permitting of the facility was completed on and aggressive fast track schedule.
Local Site Plan approval, MDEP Site Location of Development and NRPA Permit approvals were received less than 5 months from project inception and within 3 months of application submittals. Federal permit approvals from the US Army Corps of Engineers for dredging were received in less than 6 months from project inception. The facility was fully operational within 12 months of inception.
