The new Zillman Family Greenhouse at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, which will serve the university’s recently established agricultural science and agribusiness program, is on track for completion this fall, according to UMPI officials.
Local company PNM Construction has worked on the facility since breaking ground in the spring. UMPI director of facilities management Joseph Moir said on Friday that workers have completed at least “60 to 65 percent” of the project and will likely finish by their Sept. 15 deadline, which will allow students to begin using the greenhouse soon after the start of the fall semester.
“The structure of the building is 100 percent finished. We have started the mechanical and electrical portions of the building,” Moir said.
The 2,400-square-foot greenhouse sits adjacent to UMPI’s Gentile Hall and will feature two climate-controlled rooms for agricultural research and a space for classroom labs, community workshops and activities with local FFA and other youth-oriented agriculture groups. Other features will include LED grow light systems and water and ventilation systems.