Crewe Center for the Arts Commercial & Industrial
| Client | University of Southern Maine |
| Completion Date | October 2025 |
| Location | Portland, Maine |
Located in the heart of the Portland Campus, the University of Southern Maine (USM) has created a learning and cultural destination for students, faculty, and communities in the Greater Portland area. The grand opening of the Crewe Center for the Arts took place on October 3rd, 2025. This state-of-the-art facility is the start of a new chapter to bring together performances of music, dance, theatre, and visual arts to the region.
The 42,000-square-foot building showcases the facilitation, expertise, and technical support of MYR Group subsidiary E.S. Boulos Company (ESB), who delivered a comprehensive architectural lighting package including ACT ceiling fixtures, theatrical lighting, and all site and exterior lighting. The structure is served by a 1200A electrical service from USM’s campus loop, with switchboards located at each end of the facility to efficiently feed branch circuitry, all organized around a large, open central gallery.
The performance hall and arts lab are equipped with PORT-integrated theatrical lighting systems capable of color and movement, while the gallery’s app-based lighting is optimized for museum-quality white light to support exhibitions and events. All remaining lighting is controlled through ETC systems fully integrated into USM’s network controls. ESB also provided pathways for all low-voltage and data infrastructure, including video surveillance, intrusion detection, access control, emergency call systems, and integration with USM’s network and building management system. In addition, ESB delivered a complete fire alarm system and a full lightning protection system, reinforcing the project’s performance, safety, and reliability.
The successful relationship between ESB and the project’s general contractor, Consigli Construction, follows previous work on the university campus including the 217,000-square-foot Portland Commons Residence Hall, completed in the summer of 2023.
ESB Project Engineer Geoffrey Gagnon is proud to be part of a project that, “Truly changed the look of the campus. It was a unique building process involving systems we don’t usually work with, and everything came together nicely.”