Portland, ME – 53 Danforth Street was built in response to the demand for affordable housing in Portland. The tight urban site now houses 43 affordable and market rate apartments with many green features. Such green features include Nu-Wool and Sprayfoam insulated walls, Low VOC paints and flooring materials, domestic solar hot water system with 21 solar panels on the roof, Super Insulated Roof structure (R-90), and Energy Star appliances and fixtures.
The building was constructed utilizing a ‘Post Tension Slab System’, not typically seen in Maine, which consists of a grid of sleeved steel cables encapsulated in 14 inches of concrete deck sitting on top of concrete piers. This structure houses the parking garage and supports the balance of the upper four floors of housing.
Due to the extremely tight lay down and construction area, Wright-Ryan performed extensive planning and on-site management in order to stay on schedule and to minimize disruption to neighboring business and residences.
As a MaineHousing project, 53 Danforth had a goal of 3500 on-the-job training hours (OJT). Companies generously provided entry level jobs and skills training for women and minorities seeking a construction career. 53 Danforth was the first MaineHousing project to achieve full enrollment for OJT in the four years the program has been running.