Press
News & Feature Stories about the Grant Building project located at 31 Centre Street in Bath, Maine.
$3 million renovation of Bath’s historic Grant Building nearly complete
July 11, 2023 - Jason Claffey, Times Record: “The former W.T. Grant department store, built in 1936 on Centre Street, has been converted into a mixed-use development that includes coworking space, a theater and apartments.
One of Downtown Bath’s largest-ever renovation efforts is nearly finished.
The $3 million overhaul of the 22,000-square-foot Grant Building at 31 Centre St. started in 2021 and is scheduled to wrap up within a month. The art deco–style building was built in 1936 by the W.T. Grant department store company at the site of the former City Hall.”
Photo by Joshua Langlais
$3M Grant Building renovation one of largest in Bath’s history
June 20, 2023 - Laurie Schreiber, MaineBiz: “The Grant Building in downtown Bath has been a big part of the community for the better part of a century.
Now a 2 1/2-year historic rehabilitation is nearly complete — said to be one of the largest and most extensive projects in Bath’s downtown history.
“The Grant Building will become one of the most dynamic mixed-use historic redevelopments in the state of Maine,” developer Sean Ireland told Mainebiz. “Union + Co will be one of the largest coworking spaces in northern New England.””
‘People of Grant’ Celebrates the Workers Behind a Historic Redevelopment Project in Bath, ME
NOVEMBER 8, 2022. Jim Damicis, Camoin Associates: “Camoin Associates assisted the developer with designing and acquiring tax increment financing (TIF) from the City of Bath to help make the project feasible. But the project is about more than the building and the financing. At the heart of its success are the people doing the work.Camoin Associates works with lots of developers in communities across the nation, and we have seen many examples of creative building design, uses, and efforts to make financing possible. But this is the first time we’ve seen the workers and their craftsmanship celebrated in this manner. It comes at a time when, across the economic and community development world, we are all understanding the importance of workers doing a great job.”
Photos highlight faces behind new future for historic Bath building
NOVEMBER 2, 2022. Maria Skillings, Times Record: “As real estate developer Sean Ireland renovates the historic 1930s Grant Building in downtown Bath into a mixed use space for workers, artists and residents, he has teamed up with photographer Joshua Langlais to document the people doing the work through photos and interviews to highlight the importance of their trades.
Once completed, the Grant Building is expected to open in July 2023.
Coming from a family of artists and contractors, Ireland said documenting the restoration could break down the barrier between the blue- and white-collar professions. Normally, he said, real estate developers and bankers get all the credit for the buildings they renovate, rather than the contractors who do the labor.”
Historic building in Bath reopens doors after major redevelopment project
September 19, 2023 - Caroline LeCour, WCSH 6 News Center Maine: “Folks familiar with the city of Bath's downtown area may recognize a familiar storefront has reopened its doors after a major redevelopment project.
The Grant Building, located on 31 Centre Street, has been sitting vacant for the better half of a decade until now.
Developed by Sean Ireland, principal of Windward Development, the building now houses a handful of commercial and residential spaces aimed at revitalizing the downtown area.”
Photo: James R. Salomon
Posterity Project: Photographing historic Bath revamp and the people behind it
OCTOBER 27, 2022. MaineBiz: “When developer Sean Ireland began the restoration of a 1936 art deco style building in downtown Bath last year, he looked to the community for input on its future…
“Having done several of these kinds of real estate projects, I wanted to find a way to highlight and draw attention to the ‘boots on the ground people’ – the ones getting their hands dirty and showing up day after day for months at a time battling the often harsh and unpredictable conditions and elements of a construction project,” Ireland said in a news release.”
Bath OKs plan to turn vacant downtown building into offices, housing
FEBRUARY 2, 2022. Kathleen O’Brien, Times Record: “The planning board unanimously approved building owner and developer Sean Ireland’s plan to rehabilitate the Grant Building on Tuesday. The Grant Building is located on the corner of Water and Centre streets in Bath.
Project Manager Mandy Reynolds said the ground floor of 31 Centre St. will become a second location for Union + Co., a co-working office space that has a location on Front Street. Reynolds and Ireland are co-owners of Union + Co.
The building’s second and third floors will become four residences – two units on each floor – that will be accessed via Water Street.”
Empty building in downtown Bath may soon be redeveloped
JANUARY 31, 2022. Kathleen O’Brien, Times Record: “A building in downtown Bath that has sat vacant for nearly 10 years could soon become home to both commercial space and housing units…
…Ireland hopes to rehabilitate the ground floor and lower level of the building into “a mixture of commercial uses.” If his plan is approved, Ireland would also renovate the existing second and third stories of the building, which were previously used as retail and office space, into four residential units with two units on each floor.
Ireland’s plan also includes installing 80 solar panels on the roof that would produce 28% of the building’s annual electrical load, according to his application.”
Bath celebrates redevelopment of historic downtown building
September 14, 2023 - Jason Claffey, Times Record: “The historic Grant Building in downtown Bath is nearly 100 years old, and according to developer Sean Ireland, it’s poised for the next 100 years.
“The best is still to come with this building,” Ireland told a crowd of city, state and federal officials during a grand opening celebrating the building’s $3 million redevelopment. It’s one of downtown Bath’s largest renovation efforts.”
Developer seeks community input for future of historic Bath building
MAY 26, 2021. Staff - MaineBiz: “Ireland, of Windward Development, is looking for input as he develops the 25,000-square-foot building, one of the final ones in the 18-building Sagadahock Real Estate Association downtown portfolio to be sold.”
Beacon Park: A Community in Action
Filmed and Produced by Wilder Nicholson.
Beacon Park: A Community in Action
Learn about award-winning Beacon Park, an indoor park created for the public to spend time safely in downtown Bath in the winter of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
