If all goes as planned, construction on a new, 18,000-square-foot Martin’s Point Health Care center off Route 1 in Scarborough could begin in March 2016.
But first, the project must get through the town’s planning review process, which is scheduled to start on Monday, Oct. 26, when Martin’s Point presents a sketch plan to the Planning Board.
The health center would go up at the site of the former Scarborough Commons office building, at 153 U.S. Route 1, which was destroyed by fire last fall.
Since then, the property owner, Richard Aube, has torn down the remains of the building, which once housed 18 tenants, including professional offices, a digital photo store, a hair stylist and more.
The site is now bare, except for a security fence and the concrete slab where the office complex once stood. Under an agreement reached between Aube and Martin’s Point, Aube will continue to own the property, which the company will rent under a long-term lease.
Earlier this year, when Martin’s Point first announced its plan to build a new health-care center in Scarborough, Dick Daigle, vice president of support services at Martin’s Point, said he was unsure whether it would take the place of the company’s operation in South Portland.
This week, Daigle said the decision has now been made to shutter the South Portland office, which is located in Knightville, once the new Scarborough center is up and running.
Martin’s Point initially sought to remain in South Portland, proposing to the City Council that it purchase the site of the former Hamlin School, off Ocean Street, which currently houses the planning and codes office, as well as a community garden.
However, after months of controversy and outcry against the idea, Martin’s Point officially withdrew its redevelopment proposal for the school site in late May.
Scarborough Town Planner Dan Bacon said this week the Martin’s Point proposal “is an exciting project and a great redevelopment” of the lot, which is near the Scarborough Campus of Maine Medical Center and across the street from Lois’ Natural Marketplace.
“This site has a lot of benefits, especially given its access to a traffic signal, so I don’t see any unique challenges” in terms of project approval, he said.
Key aspects of the project, Bacon said, include the possibility that Martin’s Point would build a large community meeting room and also provide accommodations for bus-service users, such as a bus stop or shelter.
Overall, he said, “Martins Point has been very open and interested in adding aspects to the project that can provide a greater benefit to the town. We also expect the building will be quite attractive, similar to their relatively new facility in Gorham.”
Bacon said the project would ultimately require site plan approval from the Planning Board, which could happen later this fall or early winter.
He described next week’s sketch plan review as a chance for Martin’s Point to refine the project details before seeking a final okay from the board.
According to the sketch plan details provided, the exterior of the new building would be “similar to a typical New England farmhouse or dairy barn.”
The proposed community room, which could be used by everyone from the Girl Scouts to senior groups to small exercise classes, would be 3,000 square feet and located directly off the lobby.
In addition, according to the sketch plan, the project could also include a healing garden.
Daigle told the Current this week that there are still a number of details to work out, including the size of the proposed community room.
He called the sketch plan “a conceptual” overview of the project, and said the goal for next week’s meeting with the Planning Board is to “solicit feedback regarding the site or building design.”
Daigle said Martin’s Point hopes to present its final site plan sometime in November. If that happens, he anticipates construction would start in the early spring.
He said the 18,000-square-foot building is “much larger than what we typically do,” and said the larger size is due both to the proposed community room, as well as building for future growth.
In all, Daigle said the new health-care center could support up to eight physicians, “depending on the need.”
A new Martin’s Point Health Care center off Route 1 in Scarborough would be oriented so that only the side of the building would be visible from the road.Courtesy images
The proposed new 18,000-square-foot Martin’s Point Health Care center is designed to have a traditional New England farmhouse look.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
