L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Center

Freeport, Maine

Innovative and environmentally-sensitive engineering, site design, and permitting for Maine’s premier retailer.

Work on this project involved site design, civil engineering, and permitting for L.L. Bean’s Distribution Center and Facilities Management Offices. The initial phase, completed in 1993, includes 325,000 square feet of building area, while the full build out of the site includes 1.4 million square feet of total building area. The project is a model example of environmentally sensitive engineering design.

Stormwater runoff treatment systems were designed to meet the stringent design guidelines of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Casco Bay Estuary Project. Stormwater pollution is removed from site runoff using an innovative series of drainage structures, wet treatment ponds, and native plant materials.

The Site Master Plan also includes an extensive nature trail network complete with interpretive/educational information respective to the Merrill Brook Watershed, flood control, and riparian habitat.

Update to project: In 2007, the final phase of construction was completed to the remainder of the 1.4 million square-foot campus which includes the distribution center for all L.L. Bean products worldwide. The final build out included a 335,000 square foot expansion as well as the addition of 15 loading docks and approximately 200 additional parking spaces.

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