Before ground is broken on any project, much behind-the-scenes work takes place that can make or break the schedule and budget. We do what it takes to make each project a success, whether it’s navigating a complex regulatory permitting process, leveraging funding sources to make an envisioned project a reality, or managing past or future environmental liabilities associated with a site’s use. Since 1979, our environmental and site-civil specialists have been committed to working with regulators to achieve project solutions that are technically sound, cost-effective, environmentally safe, and acceptable to the public. We move projects from conception to construction by facilitating a collaborative public participation/stakeholder process without compromising the original project’s goals. We maintain close working relationships with critical agencies in the environmental, highway, utility, and conservation fields. Clients also benefit from our experience with funding strategies, grant/loan administration, and access to short- and long-term financing sources. We leverage lesser-known sources to develop creative and tailored funding packages.

Project highlights 

Brownfields Redevelopment
City of Portland, ME
Redevelopment of a 7-acre urban brownfield site in the City of Portland required collaboration with several stakeholders and an extensive permitting process. The City teamed with several consultants, including Woodard & Curran, for site planning and design services. The team helped transition the master plan of the Bayside area to the development phase, with a dominant portion of the project encompassing the permitting and construction of a 700-space parking garage.

Renovation/development of Athletic Fields
Rye Country Day School, NY
A 138-year-old school in Rye, New York, wanted to renovate its two aging grass athletic fields into synthetic turf fields and construct two additional fields to accommodate multiple sports teams. Woodard & Curran developed a renovation/development project featuring the use of synthetic turf to reduce field maintenance costs, eliminate fertilizer and pesticide use, and increase field access and availability. With a flexible, innovative design, Woodard & Curran met the client’s fast-track schedule. The firm was awarded a 2006 Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York for its innovative work on this project.

Urban Redevelopment
University of Southern Maine
To cope with rising enrollment and an increased demand for parking and classroom space, the University of Southern Maine developed a LEED gold-certified, 15,000-sq.-ft. building that includes office space and classrooms; a lecture hall; and a five-level, 1,200 car parking garage. A crucial milestone with the project was getting permit approval of the garage. Architect Einhorn Yaffee Prescott relied on Woodard & Curran to manage the permit process, assist with preliminary site evaluations and a public outreach and participation process. The new building opened to rave reviews in time for a new semester.

Recreational Facility Redevelopment
Macy Park, Westchester County, NY
The County of Westchester was planning a park and recreational facility on the banks of the Saw Mill River. The challenging site included a former dredge disposal area and is located within a critical flood plain. The County hired Woodard & Curran to plan, permit, design, and oversee construction of the four-field artificial turf facility. We closed the dredge disposal area to allow for construction of the state-of-the-art athletic fields on the site. We provided all designs for the fields, site drainage, grading, traffic/pedestrian flow, and increased flood plain storage capacity for all events, including the 100-year flood level. The County now has a high-quality river-front recreation park for area residents.

Road Drainage Improvements
City of Ellsworth, ME
The City of Ellsworth, Maine and residents of the East Main Street neighborhood were confronted with mounting stormwater issues created by upstream development and deterioration of the aging stormwater infrastructure. Flooded yards and flooded basements had become a common occurrence in this low-lying area. The City turned to Woodard & Curran to evaluate the situation, which was initially believed to be a surface water runoff problem. The project team discovered that high groundwater contributed to flooding problems by surcharging the deteriorated stormwater system during significant storm events.  Woodard & Curran designed a new system that solved the surface water and groundwater issues throughout this large neighborhood.