The Burgeoning Appeal of Pineland Farms

By Chris Romano

Originally a state-run facility, Pineland Center was officially closed in 1996. It sat vacant for several years until 2000, when the Libra Foundation purchased the campus and surrounding farms and embarked upon a full-scale renovation project resulting in the burgeoning professional and recreational site that it is today.

Tucked into the rolling hills of New Gloucester, Maine, Pineland Farms is a recreational, agricultural, and professional center. With over 5,000 acres of farms, forests, and a central business campus, it draws visitors and employers from across the region. Pineland’s appeal has only strengthened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robust appeal

Located conveniently between the commercial and industrial hubs of Portland and Lewiston/Auburn, Pineland Farms makes an ideal location for smaller companies in search of office space. Despite its relative proximity to these urban centers, Pineland provides a scenic campus that evokes a more rural character. The vast outdoor spaces and campus layout have become even more popular given the pandemic’s constraints and a desire for more flexible office-use patterns.

Adding to Pineland’s overall professional appeal, prospective tenants will find abundant free parking and lease rates that are lower than those for comparable spaces in Portland and more urban office locales.

Tenant variety

The available office space at Pineland Farms is typically between 1,000 and 2,000 SF and optimal for any company with 5-15 employees. While ideal for smaller businesses, Pineland is also well-suited to larger professional users and has hosted tenants with footprints as large as 60,000 SF. Professional tenants on site are varied and include financial services companies, engineering firms, a dentist, and even a daycare.

Most notably, Unity College is establishing their new Technical Institute for Environmental Professions in over 45,000 SF on Pineland’s campus. President of the College, Melik Khoury, is excited about what Unity aims to achieve with their Pineland campus. “As America’s Environmental College, we are excited to be part of the beautiful Pineland Farms community,” Khoury said. “Pineland has an abundance of natural resources and there is no better place to attract deserving students for environmental sciences and sustainability programs. The Technical Institute for Environmental Professions will lean into the infrastructure already in-place at Pineland to help keep tuition affordable and ensure we are graduating as many environmental superheroes as possible.” Opening in the fall of 2021, the addition of Unity as Pineland’s latest tenant will bring even more possibility and opportunity to its campus’s businesses.

Increased interest

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many businesses and professionals to rethink their office model. Urban areas experienced exodus from its crowded office spaces in favor of more rural work-from-home opportunities. In that light, Pineland’s individual office spaces have spiked in demand for both short- and long-term leases.

With the pandemic in mind, employers are paying more attention to the needs of their workforce, and the layout of Pineland’s campus lends itself well to addressing space and safety concerns.

Amenities

Pineland is home to a variety of other amenities open to both its tenants and the public. These include the Market at Pineland Farms, which offers breakfast and lunch, as well as locally sourced food and beverages, and four guesthouses that sustain hospitality amenities on site.

Located in the picturesque farmland of southern Maine, Pineland Farms provides ample hiking, biking, and bird-watching opportunities. With over 30 kilometers of professionally maintained trails, it is a regional destination for cross-county skiing and winter recreation. Visitors to Pineland Farms also enjoy visiting the manicured grounds and gardens, participating in various educational opportunities, and touring the working farms.

With ample recreational opportunities, hospitality amenities, and a beautiful setting, Pineland provides a great location for weddings, conferences, and corporate events.

For those interested in leasing space at Pineland Farms, contact John Finegan:

John Finegan – Associate

One Canal Plaza, Suite 500, Portland, ME 04101
M: 207.772.1333   D: 207.553.1718
jfinegan@boulos.com    www.boulos.com