Burley Building Company President Nate Reister told the planning commission last week the intention is to develop the north side of the property first followed by the Old Ocean City Boulevard fronting area.

By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(July 24, 2025) Burley Building Company, a Berlin-based construction business, is looking to create a multi-phase mixed-use project in its hometown to include the business’s headquarters, additional commercial space and employee housing.

The Berlin Planning Commission reviewed the project’s conceptual site plan at its meeting on Wednesday, July 16. The commission expressed its approval for the initiative. As next steps, Burley Building Company (BBC) will outline the items and work to be completed in each of the two intended phases.

Nate Reister, BBC’s president, came before Berlin’s Planning Commission last week, presenting the business’s phased structural project to be located at 9933 Old Ocean City Boulevard.

The site, zoned B-2 commercial, will feature the construction of a headquarters for BBC, employee housing apartments, and additional commercial space. Reister said that the project will work to address the BBC’s needs, ensuring they can continue to operate in Berlin.

According to the president, BBC has upwards of 12 W-2 employees, as well as several 1099, or contract, workers. The proposed space will enable the construction company to ship and receive materials, as well as train new staff.

The project will include construction on the front of the property, against the street, as well as buildings at the back of the property. Reister said that BBC will occupy the entirety of the backend space. The first floor will be used for the BBC’s new retail aspect of the business. Reister said that they plan to offer items like high-quality hardware and ply goods.

Reister maintained that he does not intend to rival existing, similar construction storefronts in Berlin.

“I’m not looking to compete with The Adkins Company,” he said. “We are not looking to compete with other businesses in town; we are looking to provide a unique retail experience where people can walk in and get those goods that are otherwise not in stock locally.”

The remainder of that building’s first floor will include BBC offices, staff restrooms and spaces for the workers to create and store goods.

The top floor of the property’s backend will be used as employee housing. Reister said that four multi-bedroom apartments will be constructed on the second story of BBC’s retail and office building. This inclusion will allow the BBC to continue its youth apprenticeship program.

“Part of our goal is to provide housing for [apprenticeship] kids,” Reister said. “If they come out of living with their parents, and they go to pursue a career full time, we want them to be able to have a comfortable, safe space to be able to learn what we do. A significant part of our mission as a company is to continue elevating blue-collar work and making it a respectable trade.

“Pulling these kids into a place where they can safely learn and have a good residences over their head with something we can help subsidize so that we can keep them for a longer period while they’re learning to excel at their work is a big portion of what we consider to be our mission, the future of our company in this town.”

Reister added that as part of the new construction plan, BBC is introducing a German apprenticeship as part of the J-1 Visa program, with which the proposed housing will help.

The front end of the property will include additional construction, likely to be completed in the project’s second phase. Reister noted that these spaces may be sublet.

“There is a potential for some collaboration there with some other local business that might need a portion of that space to house stuff,” he said. “We had talked about that originally with Adam Davis from Berlin Beer Company as an option.”

Still, Reister added that while this collaboration is a possibility, it is likely that the BBC will need to access most of the building’s capacity.

“I do believe we’re going to need most of that space to do what we intend to do … as everybody who has been involved in development knows. You know that space is the biggest limitation we currently face, for storage and all of those things.”

The property will also feature a BBC staff lounge for training sessions, as well as a space for workers to relax and unwind.

The construction will likely look different than the historic architecture Berlin is known for. Reister said that BBC creates its new homes, made almost entirely out of concrete, which will be the basis of this project, specifically the bottom commercial units.

This material muffles sound,  which is particularly vital when combining residential and retail spaces into one building.

“The second floor will be set in lightweight construction and will be more traditional to what you would be used to seeing,” Reister added.

“… It does represent a shift … our work in Berlin, from the Taylor House Museum to the facade grants we do in Berlin to keep the historic stuff together has been a big portion of what we do, but our larger model as we move forward as a business does focus on more modern buildings and a lot of what we’re doing revolves around meeting energy codes and managing future, potential crises. A lot of these ICF (insulated concrete forms) buildings have a 350-mph wind rating.”

Members of the Berlin Planning Commission seemed pleased with the proposal, giving its preliminary approval.

“Conceptually, it’s something we always touch on. Infill and mixed use is something we are always speaking of up here,” said Austin Purnell, planning commission member.

“It checks those boxes, providing housing whether it’s for your workers or anybody. And retail and business on the first floor. Conceptually, it’s a great idea.”

Commission member Jenelle Gerthoffer asked if the property could include bike racks for the young employees who may not own vehicles.

“Absolutely,” Reister responded. “That’s a big portion of what we’re trying to do here: make Berlin accessible to young tradespeople who are right on the cusp of being able to grow into a professional career. You know, Berlin has a particular draw. We want to keep it that way so that young people can stay in these spaces. We are using this to attract and maintain good talent.”

According to Reister, achieving phase two is contingent upon the successful completion of phase one. If phase one flourishes, the equity obtained through the construction can be used to move on to the final aspect of the project.

“It’s a lot of money,” he said. “My biggest concern is getting to phase two. It does require successful completion of the first phase.”

BBC will work to nail down the specific items to be completed within each stage of the project. Additional elements of the endeavor will come before the planning commission as the initiative progresses.