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In this month's issue: Interview with Kevin Bunker from the Developers Collaborative, lead developer of the St. Ignatius project in Sanford; Save the date for the Great Pumpkin Festival; Aerial video footage from the construction site for Sanford's new high school and technical center; and more!

News & Events

Save the Date: September 24th is the Sanford Pumpkin Festival



This September 24th, Synergize Sanford is hosting Sanford’s Great Pumpkin Festival.  There will be food vendors and family activities, a car show, a water ski show, a giant pumpkin contest and a giant pumpkin regatta on Number One Pond. This event promises to be fun for the whole family, so mark your calendars and watch for more event information as the date gets closer!
 
Report Released on the Economic Impact of Tourism in 2015

Each year, the Maine office of Tourism (MOT) commissions a report on the economic impact of tourism in Maine.  The MOT divides the state into 8 tourism regions.  Sanford is part of Region 8, the Maine Beaches Region, which attracts more tourists annually than any other part of the state: 12 million in 2015, up by 3.8% from the previous year. The economic impact of tourism in our region is enormous: tourists spent over $1.6 Billion here in 2015. A breakdown of where tourist money was spent in 2015, along with the impacts it had in our region, can be viewed by clicking on the image below.


While Sanford is not a beach resort community like many of its neighbors, it certainly has attractions for visitors and the opportunity to capitalize on its proximity to the Maine coast - and to benefit from the millions of visitors to the region each year. Through its membership in the Maine Beaches Association (MBA) along with representatives from other communities in our area, the Growth Council is able to make sure that Sanford is represented in decisions on how the region is marketed, that local attractions are featured in the annual Maine Beaches tourist guide and other marketing materials, and that local businesses have opportunities to market to the region's visitors.

For more information on the Maine Beaches Association or to download a free copy of the 2016 Maine Beaches magazine, visit the MBA website.
 
Donations from Local Businesses Support Artwork at Cancer Care Center

In June, the Cancer Care Center of York County held an open house in South Sanford to showcase its new state-of-the-art linear accelerator and CT scanner. The two pieces of equipment, work together to pinpoint a tumor's location and size and treat it with pinpoint accuracy, minimizing damage to healthy tissue. But the center has gone a step beyond providing top-notch oncology care: it has purchased beautiful ceiling artwork (seen in photo below) so patients can view the calming image during treatment.



The artwork was selected by a group of patients and its purchase was supported by donations from local businesses and organizations. Sanford Institution for Savings Bank, Corning, Inc, Ocean Communities Federal Credit Union, Sanford Elks Lodge #1470 and Sanford High School Spartans all contributed to the project, which is a focal point in the new radiation treatment area at the Cancer Care Center. A group of patients helped select the calming image and felt it would really add an element of relaxation to the treatment experience.

"Improving cancer outcomes is the ultimate goal all cancer providers strive to achieve," said Philip Villiotte, MD, Medical Director, Cancer Care Center of York County and Radiation Oncologist, Spectrum Medical Group.  He continues, "With the addition of the new Varian linear accelerator (LINAC), we can deliver state-of-the art precision radiation in higher doses than before directly to the tumor while minimizing side effects. These new capabilities mean more accurate treatments that can be accomplished in shorter times, minimizing radiation damage to healthy tissue and improving patient outcomes."

The Cancer Care Center in South Sanford is the only radiation therapy treatment center in York County, Maine located off Eagle Drive and is a partnership with Southern Maine Health Care and Maine Medical Center. For more information, visit CCCYC's website.
 
Drone Video Footage Highlights Progress on New School Construction Project



Things are busy on the construction site for the new Sanford High School and Regional Technical Center, and all of the action is being caught on film for a series of fascinating short videos produced by WSSR-TV. The videos feature aerial views captured by a camera mounted on a drone flying over the site, as well as ground-level footage. Narration and on-screen labels orient viewers and help them visualize what the various parts of the construction will be when finished.

The video series is updated approximately every two weeks, and is well worth checking out! Links to all of the videos can be viewed on the Sanford School Department's Construction News page.

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Letter from Executive Director Jim Nimon - July 2016


I am writing as July ponders concluding a beautiful summer month in Maine. Paul Simon warned us many years ago in the lovely “April Come She Will” that “July, she will fly” – and so she has. There’s some bitter sweetness to this month as well. Our family and many friends said a sad goodbye to my mother-in-law (and Nana) who, though she passed away, set the bar high while she was here and challenged her granddaughters to be confident and make their mark in the world. Rest in peace.

This month we take a moment to tell you more about the St. Ignatius redevelopment project in downtown Sanford. Lead developer Kevin Bunker is bullish on Sanford and making his own mark on the urban landscape here and elsewhere in Maine. We know you will enjoy learning what motivates Kevin to do well in a community. Please add September 24th to your calendar for the Great Pumpkin Festival. Guaranteed fun for the entire family this fall! The economic impact of tourism in our region – The Maine Beaches – continues to be significant, accounting for 30% of all visitors to Maine. Check out the article below and note that in 2015 we had 12 million visitors and they spent $1.6 billion. We need to continue educating and informing all Sanford-Springvale businesses of the potential opportunity to market to nearby visitors and expand their revenues. Being the top tourism region in Maine also fuels our ongoing efforts to help York Pines Inc. bring a major tourism development project to our community.

Before we let you go, take a minute to read about the ceiling artwork that is helping to bring an element of relaxation to the cancer treatment experience at our Cancer Care Center in South Sanford. Finally, if you’re like me and worry that you don’t know what’s going on with the new high school and can’t see everything that’s happening in the woods off Main Street, please read the story below and take a look at the videos that are being captured by a drone flying over the construction site. You’ll be amazed at the progress and the student voice-overs and graphics will help you understand not only what is being videotaped but where on the site future facilities will be.

Do your best to get out there and enjoy summer in Maine!
          
Profile: Kevin Bunker, Lead Developer on the St. Ignatius School Project

Kevin Bunker is a real estate developer and founding principal of Developers Collaborative (DC) based in Portland.  Kevin is the lead developer on the St. Ignatius School project in downtown Sanford, which will convert the former school and church into senior housing. The Growth Council recently had the opportunity to talk with Kevin and find out more about him and the St. Ignatius project.

GC: Tell us a bit about yourself, your background and education, and some of the other projects you’ve worked on.

I grew up in the Rockland area and attended local schools. I went away to George Washington University in the nation’s capital, then took about 8 years off which included quite a bit of time lobstering, before getting my master’s in urban planning from Harvard. I was trained as a planner so I tend to view real estate through that particular lens first. As a result, DC’s projects tend to be community based and have a high degree of public purpose. We get involved in a lot of historic rehab projects, downtown infill, affordable housing, and generally anything that supports Maine’s quality of place.

GC: You were a founder of Developers Collaborative, which is described on its website as an association of like-minded independent real estate developers interested in projects that build community. Can you tell us more about Developers Collaborative, why you founded it, and how it operates?

DC has evolved from the “independent developer” model – though that’s still true. I call it “DC 2.0”.  The first iteration was Richard Berman, his protégé (me) and some smaller developers who hung around with Richard. They all moved on or retired, but in any event the core of the collaboration was always Richard and me. Then Richard retired, and by that time I was the lead on most of the current projects anyway. I always liked the partnership model so I started partnering with my own colleagues, like the Risbara Brothers in Scarborough and John Wasileski and Matt Teare of Seacoast Management on multiple projects.

At the same time I followed Richard’s model in this aspect, I diverged from it in another. He always preferred to work alone – but I saw the benefit of having a staff. DC now has 4 full time employees and I have found it’s allowed me to focus on what I’m really good at – and achieve more. I’ve also really enjoyed the mentoring aspect of the job and I’m trying to pass on some of the knowledge and skills that were given to me. It’s more rewarding than I ever thought it would be.

The current St. Ignatius building in downtown Sanford.

GC: Some people hear the word “developer” and then apply their own perceptions on the type of attributes that person might exemplify, like being community-minded or only profit-driven. Can you describe your philosophy when you undertake a development project?

I’ve mentioned that above – it needs to “fit” in the community from a planning perspective. That generally involves trying to find the sweet spot between the municipality (politicians and staff), the neighborhood, the design, and the economics, sifting through what is real and what is not. Similarly, with my partners, I strive always to treat them fairly and make sure everyone makes money – so we can do it again.  I totally reject the zero sum approach to development. I’m in favor of the long term view – both in land use and in partnerships – I’d rather make a little less but build something that lasts and that leaves good feelings behind.
 
"I totally reject the zero sum approach to development.  I’m in favor of the long term view – both in land use and in partnerships – I’d rather make a little less but build something that lasts and that leaves good feelings behind." - Kevin Bunker, Principal at Developers Collaborative

GC: You are currently working on a project in downtown Sanford: the redevelopment of the old St. Ignatius building and grounds.  Can you tell us a bit about your plans for the site?

It’s a 66 unit senior affordable housing building. We are putting 42 units in the existing building with a 24 unit addition on the corner.


A conceptual drawing of the St. Ignatius project (click on the image above for a larger view).

GC: When do you expect to break ground on the St. Ignatius project and how long will it then take to complete the project and have tenants move in?

We should break ground in the third week of August and we expect to take about a year to construct.

GC: What first drew you to the St. Ignatius project?  Do you have expectations about what the finished project will bring to Sanford’s downtown?

I had had my eye on it for many years but never was able to make the numbers work. Within the last couple years I’ve formed a collaborative relationship with the Roman Catholic Diocese – essentially I am helping them develop their own stuff after buying several sites from them over the years – and that opened up a new way to make things work. I think the finished building will really help anchor the corner and make another strong statement that downtown Sanford is not just a viable but an increasingly desirable place to live.

GC: Sanford has built some great public-private partnerships to develop other local projects, notably the Sanford Mill redevelopment, Airport Solar Energy and the SanfordNet Fiber project. Can you tell us a bit about your experience so far working with the City and the Growth Council?

The Growth Council has absolutely led the way on this project from a municipal perspective. I work all across Maine and have worked with some very talented economic development directors, like Daniel Stevenson in Biddeford, Linc Jeffers in Lewiston, and Patrick Wright in Gardiner. They were all the “lead” from the City perspective.  But they all worked for the City. I’ve never seen a quasi-municipal group work so closely or so well with the City as I have in Sanford. It’s seamless. I attribute much of this to the leadership and expertise of Growth Council director Jim Nimon. Sometimes these types of organizations leave themselves open to questions as to what they are out there doing, but that’s not the case in Sanford. My experience has been that the Growth Council is the linchpin. The City has been very good to work with as well, very no nonsense and straightforward. “Transactional” is one of the highest compliments I think one can give when talking about a real estate deal – it means the party in question always stays focused on the finish line and how to get there – and the word applies to Steven Buck and his staff as well as the Mayor and City Council.

More information on the St. Ignatius Project can be found on the Developers Collaborative website here.
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