Portland Bayside

Hopefully at least Phase One will eventually get built. I have a difficult time imagining Portland's need for this many market rate apartments and condos in the future but I will be cheering the project on.
 
Nexis4Jersey - this is downtown. It just doesn't look like it because it's the underdeveloped industrial periphery. But you are literally two short blocks from the City's main thoroughfare (Congress Street) and on the other side is urban-scaled development (multi-story residential and 10 story office building, etc.)

If this were a ground level shot, you would see the downtown spine directly behind this project.

I think the renderings are simply a way to give detail to the massing, I don't think this is what we will see finally. As I understand it, a local architect overlaid a new design on the pre-existing sketch to show the new taller structures. Bayside has design guidelines the Planning Board will no doubt get involved in reviewing, and staff and the neighborhood will undoubtedly steer this in a better direction too. My guess is that, knowing this, the developer didn't want to spend a whole lot of time putting forward something that would be changed. The next submission will be the master plan.

While this project is big, I think Portland's market does have demand for these units for a number of reasons:

1. National trends show people moving back to cities near amenities (like this area)
2. Foreclosure has forced a lot of people into the rental market, driving up prices all over and making market rate units much more profitable as an investment
3. Portland tied with Chicago recently for the tightest rental market in the country
4. Portland's reputation as a "place to be" is always growing.

Also, if we look at how much residential growth occurs in suburbs, it dwarfs this project. This just seems bigger because of the density. I think the phasing of the project will also help the rents and market stabilize instead of oversaturating the market. We'll see!
 
Ah , now that I look at it from Google it fits. Now all that needs to happen is the Boulevarding of I-295...
 
You are right. They did that in San Francisco and I would not be surprised if they did that here too. There was a recent effort to connect a major arterial's pedestrian access under the bridge for the on-ramp and to the walking trail on the other side, and that happened, and the City also lit up and pedestrian-ized the other underpass but I don't know if the boulevarding concept will actually happen. There were talks of widening it a while back, and some local political voices spoke out against it. There is an ongoing effort to transform the major arterial I referenced above into a multi-way boulevard (at least that's one of the three final concepts that's being contemplated). See more here: https://www.google.com/search?q=fra...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

and
https://www.google.com/search?q=fra...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
 
I'm HATING the way that this.......and already built development is making a wall of unappealing buildings that is blocking the view of the REAL downtown from I-295. I understand the city wanting to develop this underutilized land, but man.......they need more open corridors running east/west......this type of development is making the first impression of Portland UGLY.
 
@mainejeff —that's literally an out-of-town driver's perspective you're espousing, there. As a Portlander, it's funny to think that the users of the city's biggest eyesore — the Back Cove blockade, the city's most significant source of air and noise pollution — can be so concerned about the aesthetic qualities of nearby buildings.

As a token of my sympathy please follow this pixel-sized link to listen to a near-inaudible audio file of the world's smallest violin:

From the point of view of Portlanders, this development, like the Intermed building, will help screen downtown from the noise and ugliness of the freeway. Lining 295 in a trench of unadorned cinder blocks would be an improvement.

Besides, most people visiting our city for the first time either arrive by plane, train, or bus — i.e. via outer Congress Street. Who drives around to the backside of the peninsula to get a "first impression" of the city?
 
I agree with Cneal on this but MaineJeff your opinion is your opinion and there's nothing wrong with that at all.

I think we have an imaginary picture of our skyline and yes it seems to always be taken from the other side of the cove which is my hood. Next time you have a moment to stop and really look at it from the BLVD/295 angle, you'll see that it actually sucks something fierce. It is dirty, stubby, dead looking, cold, and scattered. It needs some new big clean buildings mixed in there and if it takes a couple blocks of what Maritime is building, that's a good thing.

Also as far as blocking the original skyline, that would only occur for about 15-20 seconds on the 295 drive. You would see the original skyline all the way from hadlock field to Trader Joe's and then lose parts of it until Whole Foods. Those big clean modern buildings of Maritime are exactly what you want the newbies driving by to focus on. It adds depth and life to our downtown. Those few buildings will make our skyline look twice as big.

And yes most tourists would never get that view as their first impression anyway unless they were passing by. Any of them coming from the south would get off at the first exit after Sopo or the Congress st/Forest Ave ones, before Maritime would ever cause an eclipse.

I'm curious as to what they want to do in the retail part of phase one and what the garage looks like from the ground level.
 
Anything that blocks the view of that blank nothingness that is the rear facade of Portland City Hall and Merrill Auditorium is OK in my books. I hate that wall. Hate it.
 
Intstingly enough a primary impetus for the bayside plan which supports this proposal is a desire to spruce up visitors' first impression. While this indicates mainejeff is right in one respect it also indicates the public believes that, while this is a route of first impression, that impression has been deemed a bad one. This project needs better architecture. I say make the 148 footer 105 and make the 161 footer 194 with all applicable step backs ( assuming that's possible) no we want to complain about hardly skyscrapers at the risk of forfeiting housing?
 
cneal said:
@mainejeff —that's literally an out-of-town driver's perspective you're espousing, there. As a Portlander, it's funny to think that the users of the city's biggest eyesore — the Back Cove blockade, the city's most significant source of air and noise pollution — can be so concerned about the aesthetic qualities of nearby buildings.

As a token of my sympathy please follow this pixel-sized link to listen to a near-inaudible audio file of the world's smallest violin:

From the point of view of Portlanders, this development, like the Intermed building, will help screen downtown from the noise and ugliness of the freeway. Lining 295 in a trench of unadorned cinder blocks would be an improvement.

Besides, most people visiting our city for the first time either arrive by plane, train, or bus — i.e. via outer Congress Street. Who drives around to the backside of the peninsula to get a "first impression" of the city?
Click to expand...

LOL.......yeah, a solid wall of ugly buildings is much better than a 2 lane highway that brings most visitors to Portland to spend money at your local restaurants, shops, etc. First impressions are everything.
 
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grittys457 said:
I agree with Cneal on this but MaineJeff your opinion is your opinion and there's nothing wrong with that at all.

I think we have an imaginary picture of our skyline and yes it seems to always be taken from the other side of the cove which is my hood. Next time you have a moment to stop and really look at it from the BLVD/295 angle, you'll see that it actually sucks something fierce. It is dirty, stubby, dead looking, cold, and scattered. It needs some new big clean buildings mixed in there and if it takes a couple blocks of what Maritime is building, that's a good thing.

Also as far as blocking the original skyline, that would only occur for about 15-20 seconds on the 295 drive. You would see the original skyline all the way from hadlock field to Trader Joe's and then lose parts of it until Whole Foods. Those big clean modern buildings of Maritime are exactly what you want the newbies driving by to focus on. It adds depth and life to our downtown. Those few buildings will make our skyline look twice as big.

And yes most tourists would never get that view as their first impression anyway unless they were passing by. Any of them coming from the south would get off at the first exit after Sopo or the Congress st/Forest Ave ones, before Maritime would ever cause an eclipse.

I'm curious as to what they want to do in the retail part of phase one and what the garage looks like from the ground level.
Click to expand...

At least Maritime Landing is built further back from I-295. Perception IS reality......and even though some locals may see it differently........most will get first impressions from the "other side".

Will Portland attempt to "block" views of Deering Oaks and Back Cove as well?:rolleyes:
 
Patrick said:
Intstingly enough a primary impetus for the bayside plan which supports this proposal is a desire to spruce up visitors' first impression. While this indicates mainejeff is right in one respect it also indicates the public believes that, while this is a route of first impression, that impression has been deemed a bad one. This project needs better architecture. I say make the 148 footer 105 and make the 161 footer 194 with all applicable step backs ( assuming that's possible) no we want to complain about hardly skyscrapers at the risk of forfeiting housing?
Click to expand...

Patrick.......you hit the nail on the head. The "dorm" right next to I-295 is just plain ugly and pathetic looking......period. It blocks what hopefully will be going up behind it in the future.
 
3566573758_713b60d2f1_b.jpg


I'm thinking that the building looks a hell of a lot worse than the road. Used to be able to see all kinds of cool stuff........now just an ugly row of failure.
 
Now the dorm actually causes way more of a blockage than maritime would or intermed does. Don't remember it being brought up much during meetings. Maybe people didn't grasp that even though it was short it could do that. It's good for the city on the other side though . Helps brought sight and sound of 295.
 
Interesting turn in the discussion here. I get the sense that the quality of a skyline is something that people like us care more about than the general population. Although I do understand that the built environment has a big affect on how people move through a space and how they live their lives. When possible we should have standards in place (like the planning board does) that guide new development towards building quality buildings that take into consideration everything from the street-level interaction to the impact in the skyline.

I think Patrick said earlier that Portland is about it's streets more than it's skyline (something similar to that), and I think that is a good thing. People come to Portland for Exchange Street, not Forest Avenue. That being said, I'm not sure how Maritime Landing will look in person, hopefully it won't be as dull as in the renderings. Even if it is, nobody is going to drive all the way to our city and turn around, otherwise tourists would already be doing that based on how the city looks from the highway. I personally don't care what people speeding through the city in cars think of this development (they should have their eyes on the road). It's when people get out of their cars that they experience a place.
 
Some interesting points by all. I agree with Jeff that this is a key area to 'get right' and that the student housing while not horrible is totally inapproprIate for that area. It's a fine background building but occupies a landmark position. Whoops. That's a product of an area desperate for development and an awkward site. Marginal way has in many was improved but also fell short of its full potential like most places do. All in all the city has done a fantastIc
Job of luring development here and creating positive energy. Most cities just throw in the towel. I think the best way to address Jeff's concerns is to make sure whatever blocks the view looks better than the view blocked. First impressions are everything he's right and again that's why the bayside plan exists. Alex j at the city indicated there are at least discussions related to turning phase II's western most building to have the narrow side face the skyline view. He
And others are well versed in principles of good urban design bu unfortunately operate within political and economic constraints like all american planners. One last thing--I bet in the early 20th century when the fidelity Was built no one Liked it. It was built on the mOst valuable real estate and replaced a theatre. It was also the tallest bldg in new England.
 
My first impression about Portland is the number of homeless people and beggars. They are much more aggressive and numerous than Boston and really makes the area look down and out.
 
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