Vantage Builders completes 100,000 s/f facility for GreenCare Collective

Millbury, MA Vantage Builders, Inc. has completed the build-out of a 100,000 s/f cannabis cultivation, product manufacturing and dispensary facility for GreenCare Collective, located at 12 Latti Farm Rd. The build represents the largest cannabis project for Vantage Builders and is one of the largest cultivation facilities in Mass.

The project team included BKA Architects, BLW Engineers (MEP engineering), McClure Engineering (civil engineering) and Trinity Engineering (structural engineering).

Vantage Builders completely transformed the building, which formerly housed two manufacturing tenants, into a grow facility. GreenCare Collective’s new facility features clone, mother, and vegetation rooms; six 9,500 s/f grow rooms; cultivation process rooms for drying, trimming, curing and packaging; secure vault storage; and a commercial kitchen for the creation of cannabis edibles. The second floor has corporate office space for GCC staff. A 2,000 s/f dispensary is located in the front of the building and is scheduled to open this summer.

The highlight of the facility is the perpetual harvest system, which enables GCC to have plants continuously in both the flowering and vegetation stages. The perpetual harvest features GCC’s custom rolling tray system, from EnviroTech Cultivation Solutions. Plants are seated in large, 15.5’ long by 4’ wide trays and are efficiently moved by GCC growers along wheeled conveyor racks through each stage in growth, from mother to vegetation and growth, right to processing. The process allows growers to carefully tailor the light and fertigation that plants receive at each stage, which greatly increases crop yield, product quality and the efficiency of the cultivation process.

The six grow rooms have walls and ceilings consisting of Norbec insulated metal panels and epoxy flooring, which help maintain the clean environment. Each grow room has 24 separate fertigation zones and four different lighting zones to maximize growth and healthy plants. Vantage Builders installed 2,200 LED lights from Revolution Microelectronics to create the proper grow conditions.

The project included the installation of all new MEP/FP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection) and HVAC infrastructure to meet the heavy systems demands of the cultivation facility. The building required a new electrical service power upgrade, including new outdoor switchgear with a CAT diesel backup generator. The main chiller plant features three Tecogen chillers, boilers and two large cooling towers that supply hot and cold water loops for the building’s HVAC needs. The chiller plant consists of four modular sections that were assembled in Arizona, shipped to Millbury and installed on a new, custom-built structural equipment pad.

All aspects of the grow process – fertigation, lighting, temperature, and CO2 levels – are controlled by an intelligent Priva building management system (BMS), while a second BMS provides control for the office and dispensary areas. Any odors created during the cannabis processing are eliminated by a Benzaco Scientific odor neutralization system.

“Our complete focus is on the cannabis plant, and that means having a world-class facility, where we could combine commercial agricultural techniques with the best practices of cannabis cultivation,” said Charles Smith, general counsel, GreenCare Collective. “We are proud of the facility we have built. The facility is the culmination of a tremendous amount of experience, planning and execution. Vantage Builders was involved at the early stages of the project and their team’s experience was critical to delivering this state-of-the-art facility.”

GCC’s high-end dispensary features distinct branding, including an eye-catching honeycomb design element. The space is well-lit and inviting, with a layout that helps customers find the products they need and get the help they want, without feeling hurried. The dispensary will offer flower, edibles, concentrates, tinctures, topicals and more.

“Vantage Builders has been part of the cannabis industry since it first started in Massachusetts,” said John Connor, principal, Vantage Builders. “GreenCare Collective’s cultivation facility is definitely one of the most complex projects we’ve worked on in the cannabis market. Our team’s years of experience in cannabis construction was critical to the success of the build.”