If it seems there are a lot of cranes over the Portland campus, it’s because there are. Since the ground was broken for the parking garage major improvements and additions to the USM campuses are everywhere. These improvements are just the beginning.
The University’s five year strategic plan “Transforming USM: 2004-09” has the call to action of “Upgrade and Expanded Facilities” as it’s fourth tenet. The “Transforming USM: 2004-09” should not be mistaken for the University of Maine System Plan which is garnering much media attention. These plans do work together though.
“The System plan presents us with the broader opportunity of serving the cultural and social needs of Maine’s most populous region. Bringing The USM Plan to life under these changed conditions is the purpose of our current effort, Transforming USM,” reads the “Transforming USM: 2004-09” in explanation of how the two plans interact.
The first sign of the improvements to USM that students and visitors see is construction going on at the new Joel and Linda Abromson Community Education Center. The Center abuts the newly completed garage. When completed in March, commuters will be able to go from the garage to the Center without stepping out side. A much-anticipated catwalk will extend over Bedford Street from the center to the sidewalk between Luther Bonney Hall and Masterton Hall. Notable aspects of the building include a 500-seat auditorium “Hannaford Hall,” and an atrium. Many believe the most important aspect of the new building is that it the building will meet requirements for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certificate.
On the north end of the Portland campus students and visitors find the second major clue that huge improvements are happening all over campus. Three new floors have been added to the Science Building. On Friday a topping off celebration was held as the highest piece of steel was put into its place, marking an important milestone for the construction of the new levels.
The cranes and hard hat areas will not be disappearing after the completion of these two projects. Several more are in the pipeline. The following projects are a sample of what “Transforming USM: 2004-09” considers to be “essential.” On the Portland Campus the plan calls for the completion of the University Commons and a new entrance for the Albert Brenner Glickman Family Library. The plan also calls for a new residence facility and University Center to open in the fall of 2007.
The Gorham Campus is also due for some much needed enhancements. A new residence facility is planned to open in the fall of 2006. “Transforming USM: 2004-09” calls for a “$90 million bond request to the Chancellor to implement facility plans, beginning with the renovation of Bailey Hall.”
Students, faculty, and staff, interested in reading the plan in its entirety should go to http://www.usm.maine.edu/sul/uric/ where a draft of the plan from March 2004 is available. There is also a link where students and faculty are encouraged to express their opinion and evaluations of the plan.
Joseph R. Thompson can be contacted at