The Olde Federal Building

The Olde Federal Building when it was the post office-free domain

When I drive down the mountain from my apartment in Augusta, Maine, the road in front of my building takes me directly to The Olde Federal Building, which is the very large, light gray, castellated building on the bank of the Kennebec River, in the center of the photograph above. Whoever built that building must have had stories to tell! But here are the construction photographs? See the horse-drawn cart in the foreground, standing in the dirt street? Compare that rudimentary level of transportation of horse-and-cart to the scale of the construction task, to the many huge blocks of stone that someone cut, hauled, and used to build The Olde Federal Building!?! And why did they build so grandly? Compare the seven massive entrances and the multitude of high windows to the size of the humans in the street. Why are there so many doors and windows on a building located in Maine where cold weather means high heating fuel costs? How did anyone manage to build such a monumental structure, with four cupolas and a bell tower for decoration? What is the meaning/function of the five pieces of metal antiquiteque fitted to the top of those five structures? Why does this new building look old, smudged, with worn roof tiles? Who paid for it? Which begs the question of who built it? Not the kind of humans that I know today. We build in concrete, metal, plastic, and asphalt. And our constructions will probably not last long, not like a stone building will last.

Today I was reminded of these speculations when I read an article about redevelopment of The Old Federal Building: https://www.mainebiz.biz/article/augustas-olde-federal-building-will-become-luxury-apartments

"The Goldman Group, a Boston-area real estate firm, has gotten approval from the Augusta Planning Board to redevelop the Olde Federal Building, at 295 Water St.

"The 41,212-square-foot building went on the market for $2.65 million in July. The plan is for a mixed-use apartment complex of about 25 units, street-level retail/commercial space, as well as a variety of lower-level office units. Apartment tenants will have access to amenities such as a fitness center and storage lockers, as well as a rooftop lounge that boasts river views.

“It was a pleasure presenting our redevelopment proposal for the iconic Olde Federal Building to Augusta’s Planning Board, and are grateful to have their support,” said firm said in a prepared release. “We look forward to our continued work with the city of Augusta as we develop the property into Augusta’s premier luxury apartment complex. Understanding its historical significance to the city, we are committed to enabling the broader community access and enjoyment of the building through functional ground-level commercial spaces, among other amenities. Our goal is to raise the standard and value of the area and the city at large, in addition to creating new employment opportunities and improving the quality of life for the community.”

"Construction is set to begin at the end of 2023, with apartment and commercial space completed for rental by late 2024."

Huh? There are already more than enough vacant office spaces along Water Street which is the main thoroughfare in downtown Augusta, Maine (pun intended.) And why wait to build apartments when there is an awful housing shortage right now? Are the builders drawing government money today on a housing project that may never happen tomorrow?

The Olde Federal Building-source Mainebiz