Immersing Ourselves in the Waterville Community
By Kevin French
There is nothing more satisfying for a building contractor than to see the smiles on clients’ faces when they celebrate the opening of their new buildings. Standing in the crowd of 250 people at last week’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Colby Bill and Joan Alfond Main Street Commons, I witnessed firsthand the immense pride of those attending this significant event marking an important moment in the history for Colby College and downtown Waterville.
Over the course of the 15 months of construction it was clear that the residents of Waterville were deeply vested in their community. They wanted to know about the project, they asked questions, and they followed the project’s daily progress. Our team knew how important this construction project was to the City of Waterville, especially given it was the first major construction project undertaken in decades. Our team held regular meetings to keep the public informed, we communicated with the local business owners, and we provided regular updates regarding traffic patterns, road closures, and general construction concerns.
It was important for us to integrate with the local community so we decided to establish a presence downtown. Landry/French opened an office in a vacant office building not far from the site. On our daily walks to and from the site, the locals saw the Landry/French hard hats and started conversations with our management team. We even developed relationships with a few regulars or “sidewalk superintendents” who were there daily watching the progress.
Just as the residents of Waterville showed their immense pride on opening day, I, too, shared that same sense of pride that Landry/French was involved in this historic moment in Waterville. I can’t wait to see what’s next!