Â鶹´«Ã½finalizes land swap deal with Maine Army National Guard facility in Portland
The Â鶹´«Ã½ (UNE) and the Maine Army National Guard (MEARNG) completed a land and building exchange that will benefit both organizations. A deed, granting Â鶹´«Ã½ownership of the Guard facility on Stevens Avenue, was recorded on Wednesday. The 65 thousand square foot building is located on approximately nine acres and adjacent to UNE’s Portland Campus on Stevens Avenue. In the unique deal, the University gave the Maine Army National Guard 29 acres of land in Saco where they can build a modern Readiness Center to support the Guard’s mission.
Â鶹´«Ã½ President Danielle Ripich said, “This is a deal that has been in the works for a number of years, and I credit both the Guard and the team at Â鶹´«Ã½with working through the process to come to a mutually beneficial agreement. It’s a win-win. Â鶹´«Ã½will be able to expand its presence at the Portland campus and add much needed space for programmatic growth. The Guard will get the space it needs to do its work.â€
The Acting Adjutant General for the Maine National Guard, Brigadier General Gerard F. Bolduc said, “The relationship between the Maine National Guard and the Â鶹´«Ã½ has been mutually beneficial to both organizations. The land swap will allow us the ability to create a state of the art facility to serve the great citizens of Maine. It has been a pleasure working with UNE’s leadership. The additional acreage in Saco allows for potential expansion and greater onsite training for our soldiers. The location will provide safer access for our vehicles and equipment.â€
Nationally, many of the armories have moved to locations closer to the main highways to allow for quicker deployment.
It will take several months for the Guard to transition out of the Stevens Avenue facility and for Â鶹´«Ã½to transition in.