30 Story Building for Portland?

Corey said:
I think you should look into the planning board, it looks like a good place to make your voice heard on these sorts of issues.


As far as the new Veterans bridge, they can make it look easy on the eyes using several techniques but it really can't get much higher (no towers or anything). Here's the apprach to PWM:

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And as far as Bayside, I agree that the windows over most of the Intermed building are way to small. Larger windows would cut down on heating costs in the winter and also look much better from the outside and also from the inside. You should get out of your car and stroll around bayside, it's even worse on a pedestrian level. Plenty of room for improvement would be a positive way to describe the area.
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The idea isn't so much to make it tall but to make it an effective gateway to our city, one which inspires and alludes to what the city downtown is like. Most of the people involved in its planning want it to be a gateway to both land and air travelers, meaning they are well aware of the approach you showed, and want to use it to the bridges advantage. Tall or not, this is an opportunity for our community to present Portland with its best foot forward. Think of the Zakim, the Golden Gate, the Brooklyn Bridge, even Casco bay...then compare them to vet. The thing needs to be rebuilt and this is the time to make sure its done right.

edit: But your comment is a good point
 
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I agree, and beyond the fact that the current bridge isn't too aesthetically pleasing, it is also a safety concern since the current structure is falling apart.

I'm googling some pictures to find some styles of bridges that would work well here but haven't found any that jump out at me yet.
 
Patrick said:
Thanks man. I am working on it. Yeah I agree. We should do something like that. I have pages on facebook like growsmart maine and the mainedevelopment foundation etc, but none are specifically portland based. Somethig you may be interested in is the Portland Society of Architects advocacy committee, which I just joined. It is a group of architects and interested regular people from Portland and the surrounding area. They are really advocating for a design of the vet mem bridge rebuild that is similar to the penobscot narrows bridge, rather than another ugly bridge like there currently is. They are also trying to put a design professional in the current planning board opening.

do you have a fb

Planning Board ? 1 position

The Portland Planning Board has responsibility to recommend
adoption and amendments to the Comprehensive Plan of the City of
Portland, and to advise the City Council and Departments on
implementation measures for the Plan. The Planning Board makes
recommendations to the City Council on applications for zoning
text and map amendments, contract rezonings, substantial
revisions of the Site Plan and Zoning Ordinance. The Board has
jurisdiction to hear, review and approve applications for
development including site plans, subdivisions, and conditional
uses and other regulations governing development as appropriate.

aside: I just drove around town and noticed how ugly bayside is. Even with the new development, that place is ugly. its not too ugly, but for portland, transitioning from downtown to bayside is just stupid. boxy stores and boxy office buildings with parking garages. I think I actually like the shorter brick office buildings and the student housing (especially if it had a different facade, like brick) than the intermed building. Intermed is alright, but only from one corner. and, whoever designed it, put the smallest windows in. its not inviting. it looks like a vertical warehouse or something. it doesn't interact with the street well and it is facing the most weird direction for a gateway. rowhouses wouldn't be a bad idea in that area. the city doesnt seem to want to build a signature portion to downtown there, so they shouldn't pretend to. there should be more streets carved into those huge lots so its more urban. right now it is a suburban office park in the middle of downtown and it is so ugly. it has potential, but the way the city is approaching it, while better than nothing, is misguided, me thinks.
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The thing that really bugs me about the Intermed buidling are the white window shades. You drive down I-295 and some are all the way down, some half way, some 1/4 of the way and on and on. It looks really half-assed. They should have gone with one-way glass where you can see out but not see in.
As far as a high rise building that I like the looks of is the Monarch Place Building in Springfield, Massachusetts. It's 26 floors. It can be viewed at www.emporis.com BUILDINGS, Springfield, MA
 
I just submitted it again, and this time with some adjustments to take into account Corey's suggestion. Thanks.

Plans like John Cacoulidis? desire to erect a high-rise office building in Portland should be accepted with open arms. All too often, however, illogical opposition to such projects runs rampant. A global recession is as good a time as any to call this behavior what it is: nonsensical. Around the Peninsula, seas of asphalt and unkempt grassy knolls dot the urban fabric. Surely, Portland can do better. Admittedly, community input is indispensable to the successful completion of any large scale development. But, when it is illogical and inconsistent with principles of smart urban planning, such input only serves to threaten, rather than manage, important investments in our community. This particularly virulent form of the anti-development disease is not the proper function of public comment, and it should be rejected wholesale by those who value Portland and its role as Maine?s largest city. Cacoulidis? plan may or may not be right for Portland, but the resolution of this issue necessitates sensible, impartial deliberation; it should not be decided upfront by a vocal but misguided "NIMBY" few. In its entirety, Portland?s motto is: ?I shall rise again.? It is not qualified by: ?but not too high.? Although massive conflagration hasn?t flattened the City since 1866, our motto has continued relevancy as neighboring cities threaten to eclipse us. I urge all who care about the future of Portland to ensure an open, rather than clenched, municipal hand is extended to Mr. Cacoulidis. It would be imprudent to do otherwise.
 
Hello All,
I love your attitide and effort Patrick. I agree with Grittys457 that you should run for City Council or the Planning Board as Corey suggested.
I am pro development and anti NIMBY. The problem is the NIMBYS tend to have the most money thus they have the greatest influence. Nevertheless, Patrick and others can certainly help mute the NIMBYS. Great work !

Matt
 
portlandneedsnewarena said:
As far as a high rise building that I like the looks of is the Monarch Place Building in Springfield, Massachusetts. It's 26 floors. It can be viewed at www.emporis.com BUILDINGS, Springfield, MA
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That and the Worcester Plaza (in Worcester) are a couple of buildings that seem like a good height and mass/sizing/footprint for Portland's tallest. I'm open to all-glass facades but I think it is kind of an overdone fad.
 
Corey said:
That and the Worcester Plaza (in Worcester) are a couple of buildings that seem like a good height and mass/sizing/footprint for Portland's tallest. I'm open to all-glass facades but I think it is kind of an overdone fad.
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I agree corey.
 
I am seeingPORTLAND today with uncle who buys theammo at Cableas. But I AM NOT SEEING 30bSTORYbuilding of which your ALWAYS speaking. I ask oldUncle who says these buildings here r 30 storys in Dick's inches. I am not shoping at that sportinggood store or know mrdick but uncle laff n say he saysSOMEDAY I give a girlgriend that ruler.
BUT I am hungrey now soam to eat at NORMS here so now I no why he not any more at Cheers.

PORTLAND peoples are nice and cityprety. So Iam taken many pictures so I will POST them for boston peoples too see. BUT, to answer to the BIGquestions, no need foryure pukeyspringfeldswoostarscraper to be abigg place.
 
I am seeingPORTLAND today with uncle who buys theammo at Cableas. But I AM NOT SEEING 30bSTORYbuilding of which your ALWAYS speaking. I ask oldUncle who says these buildings here r 30 storys in Dick's inches. I am not shoping at that sportinggood store or know mrdick but uncle laff n say he saysSOMEDAY I give a girlgriend that ruler.
BUT I am hungrey now soam to eat at NORMS here so now I no why he not any more at Cheers.

PORTLAND peoples are nice and cityprety. So Iam taken many pictures so I will POST them for boston peoples too see. BUT, to answer to the BIGquestions, no need foryure pukeyspringfeldswoostarscraper to be abigg place.
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:confused::confused::confused:
 
Josh said:
:confused::confused::confused:
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I an SORRY you r not unersrstanding what I SEE here in PORTLAND!!! BUT what I am sayinf here is not to have that VENUS envy which make s you feel short in spankwagon!!! as you have gGOOD persenality that does not need crappy 30STORIE shubox tobe nice place. SAD DAY WHEN U THINK YOU NEED WOOSTERSTYL hirise to fele good about uself. You not ugly Mitget chik whatneeds botox for chesticle enhansment. At least that what I am seeing here.
 
did someone have too many drinkies?

Anyway the basic jist (I think) was that you don't need a tower to have character and Portland has character. I agree.

However, if they can get a nice tower (let's be honest... say what you want about Springfield, but Monarch Place is nice) AND keep that character in tact (which they can), why not?
 
Lrfox said:
did someone have too many drinkies?

Anyway the basic jist (I think) was that you don't need a tower to have character and Portland has character. I agree.

However, if they can get a nice tower (let's be honest... say what you want about Springfield, but Monarch Place is nice) AND keep that character in tact (which they can), why not?
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I see both points of view. He is right that Portland does not need a tall tower to feel good about itself; towers don't make great cities. But at the same time, as an urban enthusiast and high rise architecture admirer, I have to admit that it would be nice to see a little more glitz and big city atmosphere in Portland. But I know Portland is not now, nor has it ever been, a large city. It is teetering on the line between large-small and small-medium sized. It doesn't need a skyscraper per se; it would do just fine if the same level of density extended a bit more into areas surrounding the downtown core (like bayside). However, if this guy wants to build it, why not? Most of the tallest buildings in the world aren't built because of demand, but for show. Although Portland is great without a skyscraper, it would be better with one (especially given that this building is hardly even a skyscraper by modern standards). The site is at the confluence of major city districts (bayside, downtown, munjoy, arts district, old port and new port) and as such is perfectly situated, if anywhere is, for this sort of development. Portland didn't become great on NIMBYism, it became great based on empire and capitalism, industrialism and thinking big. all in all I agree with both of your points, but I lean toward favoring this sort of building, as long as it is done right. Portland would never be Worcester.
 
I am reding the PRESHAROLD this morning (I am vacation with family in oOOB) and am thinking you are rt. BUT there is this poblum of crappy skyscraprs that make you look like STAMFORD. This MONARK placed on Springfield is big peace of crap. JUST sububan office park made tall. Making desires for tall just for sakes of TALL means you get ribbon window peace of shite, YOU WILL NOT GET GOOD ARKITCTURE BECAUSE DEVELOPER RAPE YOU and everything else will look crappy like. T
yOU PORTlaNd peOples wering BERE GOOGILS at 2AM here becaudse you are thinking you are hardup.

SET UR SITES HYER ab
nd telling developer to s rew unless he is building Portland peples the Flete Bank builsdingh in Providunce.
 
I think the Pennsylvania Power & Light Building in Allentown is perfect for Portland in terms of size and aesthetics. We should move it from Penn to Portland
 
Josh said:
I think the Pennsylvania Power & Light Building in Allentown is perfect for Portland in terms of size and aesthetics. We should move it from Penn to Portland
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I agree, great sizing and I LOVE art deco skyscrapers.
 
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