Equality Community Center | 23-25 Casco Str. | Portland

Cosakita18

Cosakita18

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5 story mixed-use building at 23-25 Casco St. With retail, community event space and non-profit offices

Slated to begin construction in early 2021

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This is being developed by several non-profits that serve the LGBTQ community in Maine and I know they are not looking to take on a role as a major landlord so it makes sense this is what they are doing. Plus while it might be nice if they could have included more housing in a taller building that is not their main focus and they have limited funds. The work they do is very important and this space will be a huge improvement over the community space they currently have.
 
citylover94 said:
This is being developed by several non-profits that serve the LGBTQ community in Maine and I know they are not looking to take on a role as a major landlord so it makes sense this is what they are doing. Plus while it might be nice if they could have included more housing in a taller building that is not their main focus and they have limited funds. The work they do is very important and this space will be a huge improvement over the community space they currently have.
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Sorry, my post wasn't meant to be a knock against the group or their plans. I am 100% an advocate for the work they do. However, there are so few empty parcels zoned for height in Portland. We complain a lot around here about NIMBYism killing proposals where approval is needed to build above the zoned height, so it pains me a little when opportunities are missed to build up where the zoning already allows it.
 
The extra height would make it even bleaker for the folks living on that side of the Ambassador, though, plus it would be weird between that building and the low-rise Maine Savings old hq. I'll be sad to lose that drive thru ATM, though.
 
So it appears that an extra floor has been added to the project?
 
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This MSDP just appeared in CSS, no docs yet but looks like the current plan will propose a building with 54 units.
 
Neighorhood meeting announcement with an explanation of why it's getting a "Brown Street" address even though it's going to front Casco Street:

Dear Neighbor:
Please join Developers Collaborative Predevelopment LLC and Equality Community LP, for a Neighborhood Meeting via Zoom to discuss their proposed 54-unit affordable residential housing development in a new five story building at 48 Brown Street, in Portland, ME. The Planning Authority project ID is PL-002468-2023. The proposed project includes a 9,500 SF footprint, 5-story building within the existing surface parking lot, situated with access from Casco Street. The site is part of the existing Brown Street parking garage property. Pursuant to the City of Portland’s COVID guidelines, this meeting is to be held by video conference.
Meeting Location: Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 848 5977 6247
Passcode: 941007
 
DanielPWM19 said:
Still looks great. Good infill for the spot.
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Personally I like this design more than their earlier renderings. I think the full-frontage rainbow coloring would have been a bit too garish and over-the-top.

Although this parcel is one of the few zoned for 210 feet. It would have been cool to see them add at least a couple more stories and a bit more housing here. But with construction costs as they are I can understand why they've chosen a more conservative approach.
 
Asking them to add another floor to include more apartments on the site is good feedback for the applicants and the Planning Board to hear, especially now at the workshop stage.

I doubt it's a financial issue – adding another floor would add some construction expense, but most of the fixed costs (like the elevator, land costs, etc.) remain the same, and they could still use wood framed construction, so unless there's some other unusual circumstance I'm not aware of, more height/more apartments would help the project be more financially attainable.
 
I don't think that the color blocking in the original was bad....and they are still the same colors (they would have had blue and purple as well for a true "rainbow"). What I like about the newer design is the punch outs creating a more interesting and inviting building rather than another box. I also feel that the first design looked more dated.
 
This zoning could have a building up to 210 feet but with the building being affordable housing, and the city saying that is their number one priority but not funding it enough, another tower won’t happen here. The city is getting tougher and tougher to work with. Development is going to the suburbs
 
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NR2Portland said:
This zoning could have a building up to 210 feet but with the building being affordable housing, and the city saying that is their number one priority but not funding it enough, another tower won’t happen here. The city is getting tougher and tougher to work with. Development is going to the suburbs
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There was one committee member who inquired about this development being higher at the last workshop - I can't remember what exactly DC said in response, but I think it came down to them being affordable units + how it's being funded and/or incentives that made it not possible to go higher. It is a shame, though.
 
If this were ten floors and finished by now, all those people in the Expo could be housed here (temporarily until they can find work). The city talks with both sides of its mouth.
 
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