80 Exchange Street, Portland

WCG Team

Project Specs

year completed

2018

Gross floor area

11,400 sq ft

Partners

Briburn
L+L Structural Engineering
Ripcord Engineering
Bennett Engineering
Essex Preservation Consulting

Located in the heart of Portland’s historic Old Port district, the renovation of 80 Exchange Street transformed a tired 19th-century office building into a modern, energy-efficient Class A office destination while preserving its architectural character. Originally constructed in 1867 following Portland’s Great Fire, the building required extensive restoration to uncover and celebrate the historic features hidden beneath decades of alterations.

Working closely with the ownership team, architects, engineers, and preservation consultants, Warren Construction Group restored the exterior façade, installed historically appropriate high-performance windows, and modernized the building with energy-efficient lighting and advanced mechanical systems. Interior renovations revealed original brick masonry, exposed timber beams, and soaring ceilings that now define the building’s unique character and appeal. A new fourth-floor dormer expanded usable space while maintaining the building’s historic presence within the streetscape.

Despite the challenges of working on a constrained downtown site with active businesses remaining open below, the project was completed successfully and earned recognition from both Maine Preservation and AIA Maine. Today, 80 Exchange Street stands as a model of historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and sustainable commercial redevelopment in downtown Portland.

Read more about the this project and the 2019 Honor Award from Maine Preservation.

Project Photos: Irvin Serrano