The Casco | 201 Federal Street | Portland

I'd just like to mention that - while we were talking about the potential for poor street level experience in new development - I think Redfern has done a nice job designing 201 Federal.

A view from early this morning:

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Once I figured out the new traffic pattern, I haven't seen an issue. Admittedly, I only go through there on the weekend, though. The biggest thing I've seen is one car coming out of Temple onto Congress; I don't think the detour is signed well enough, at least coming out of Federal.
 
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17th floor taking shape. Note the taller vertical beams on the left being installed to support the 14' mechanical penthouse which will give the building an architectural height of 204'.
 
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The above photo shows what is the highest density urban cluster in Northern New England even prior to the new tower being completed. Within an area that covers only 165 yards in length there will be 4 buildings totaling 51 floors which is impressive for any small to mid sized city. Manchester may have two 20 story towers, but it cannot put a grouping together like Portland. Add the Time & Temperature Building (14), Fidelity Building (11), One Canal Plaza (10) and One Portland Square (10) into the mix and there are 45 more floors of combined height in a very compact area!
Re-hijacking this thread to mention that I don't think anyone included Heard Square in the downtown cluster discussion!
 
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^ Good point nomc. I was focusing on the less than 2 football field area from 201 Federal to the Time & Temperature Building and an even shorter distance down to Canal Plaza and Portland Square. In addition, I don't want to jinx the Herald Square project until they start digging the hole for it. And even that level of construction can backfire as evidenced by the CityPlace development in Burlington, VT which has remained an empty pit for over two years.
 
^ Good point nomc. I was focusing on the less than 2 football field area from 201 Federal to the Time & Temperature Building and an even shorter distance down to Canal Plaza and Portland Square. In addition, I don't want to jinx the Herald Square project until they start digging the hole for it. And even that level of construction can backfire as evidenced by the CityPlace development in Burlington, VT which has remained an empty pit for over two years.
I know Portlander knows this, but before Portland had its own forum, we had a long trend of PWM-based projects that got their own thread never coming to fruition (Midtown, Thompson's Point (original incarnation), etc.) So I still have worries that the jinx is real!
 
^ The projects that never materialized that caused the most disappointment for me would be the DMR Group's complex of towers on the Top of the Old Port site, followed by the Boulos tower, hotel and convention center at the same location years later, the 195' Fidelity Building addition on Preble Street and the 10,000 seat arena that was proposed by the Noyce Foundation to be built in Bayside. After waiting over 50 years to see something developed on the TOTOP property I'd settle for a double wide trailer at this point! :)
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This photo shows how long I've waited with some of the artists that ruled the Billboard charts back then, bonus points if you can identify them!
 
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This photo shows how long I've waited with some of the artists that ruled the Billboard charts back then, bonus points if you can identify them!
The guys are the Bee Gees, and I'm pretty sure the ladies are Nancy and Ann Wilson of Heart. Why yes, I still have cable and a print subscription to the Press Herald, why do you ask?
 
Mark, you nailed the Bee Gees, but the ladies are pop queens Karen Carpenter and Olivia Newton-John.
 
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The Union and Temple Street corridor view has become quite impressive and could be even better if they would remove the power lines between Commercial and Fore Streets! The new tower will also light up the skyline during the dark winter months from 5 to midnight due to it being residential where the office buildings usually go dark around 6 PM.
 
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