General Portland Discussion

Burke family has sold the Sea Dogs to Diamond Baseball Holdings, which is a division of Endeavor Group Holdings:

www.milb.com

Portland Sea Dogs Announce Diamond Baseball Holdings as New Owner

Portland, Maine\- The Portland Sea Dogs baseball team today announced it has entered into an agreement with a new owner, Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization that owns and operates select minor league clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB). The Club will continue to be...
www.milb.com www.milb.com

More about DBH:

Diamond Baseball Holdings

The official athletics website for Diamond Baseball Holdings
diamondbaseballholdings.com diamondbaseballholdings.com
www.endeavorco.com

Endeavor | Sports and Entertainment

We are a global sports and entertainment company, home to many of the world’s most dynamic and engaging storytellers, brands, live events, and experiences.
www.endeavorco.com www.endeavorco.com

ENDEAVOR

Global leader in entertainment, sports and fashion
endeavorco.com endeavorco.com

I have to openly wonder if this will lead to investment in upgrades to Hadlock?
 
Time will tell, they now own 11 minor league teams ranging from A to AAA. Have not come across any articles yet showing they actually invest in the ballparks of the teams they own. Hadlock Field could definitely use some improvements to keep up with some of the other Eastern League venues.
 
Hadlock has some great local flavor - the fireworks lighthouse, the local beers, etc. Hopefully that will remain.
 
I've always had a positive opinion of the Burkes, the Sea Dogs and their relationship with the city. I realize Geoff and the rest of the front office are staying, but hopefully that good relationship (and the atmosphere at the ballpark) continue.
 
With 2022 coming to a close, what are your predictions for what 2023 will bring to Portland.
My predictions, both realistic and wishful are:

Realistic Predictions:
  • Overall, High interest rates and the strong possibility of an economic recession will slow the rate of new projects of all types

  • We will finally see renewed interest in building new downtown Class A office space. Nothing huge...maybe 60-80,000 sq ft. But office vacancy rates are creeping back down to their 2019 levels and legacy office space is being taken off the market for redevelopment (Time & Temp Building, 465 Congress)

  • The Roux Institute will get their institutional zoning overlay approved by the City Council and we will finally get a more detailed, site-plan level look at what the campus will look like. I doubt we'll see anything significant break ground in '23, but we may start to get actual site plans.

  • We'll learn a lot more about the next phases of the Portland Foreside project and potentially see ground broken by summer or fall.

  • Despite the GND and high interest rates...There will be at least one large (100+ unit) apartment development on the peninsula. The rental housing market is too white-hot to allow inventory to remain stagnant

  • PMA will advance their winning design for the museum expansion into site-plan review

  • Site plans and groundbreaking for 2 of the three phases of Herald Square

  • MECA will reveal more detailed plans about their campus expansion and property acquisition

  • The city will advance plans to build a garage topped with residential on the land they seized from Federated as part of the failed "Midtown" project

  • One way or the other, We'll know the fate of the Canal Plaza tower / hotel project. (Personally, I'm very skeptical it will ever become reality)

    Less-Realistic / Wishful Predictions:
  • Plans for a 250+ unit, 15+ story residential tower for the garage at 45 Brown St (Part of the Time & Temp Building redevelopment) will be advanced

  • Portland Square will either advance their existing office building / garage plan...or move forward with another mixed-use plan for their surface parking lots.

  • USM will unveil plans for a new academic or graduate center

  • Before Covid, there were early plans for a mixed-use development at the corner of Franklin and Somerset St (The current location of the Verizon Store) That plan may be revived

  • A 50-75 unit mixed-use project on the Forest Ave corridor.
 
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One wish I have for 2023 is that we get at least a hint of what Port Property is thinking about for the West Bayside lots. I'd also like to see the St Lawrence addition move through the rest of the HP review process at the very least.
 
Can any of the posts about Port Property be moved to the Bayside chain?
 
I realize that this is a build in Boston, but Boston is so close to Portland and Portland will receive benefits of tourists and transplants (remote workers) with projects such as this one. The building has started construction across from the convention center. It's a Sci-Fi movie, all of it. There is a running track on the top floor with sweeping views of Boston. It's almost unreal. And this is only one of a dozen new hi-rises in this area housing the highest level of tech workers. Amazon has two towers, and they aren't shipping boxes or performing admin duties in them. It's robotics, A.I., and Cloud Computing.

Now this is some architecture...

https://www.sasaki.com/projects/10-world-trade/
 
TC_zoid said:
I realize that this is a build in Boston, but Boston is so close to Portland and Portland will receive benefits of tourists and transplants (remote workers) with projects such as this one. The building has started construction across from the convention center. It's a Sci-Fi movie, all of it. There is a running track on the top floor with sweeping views of Boston. It's almost unreal. And this is only one of a dozen new hi-rises in this area housing the highest level of tech workers. Amazon has two towers, and they aren't shipping boxes or performing admin duties in them. It's robotics, A.I., and Cloud Computing.

Now this is some architecture...

https://www.sasaki.com/projects/10-world-trade/
Click to expand...
And some landscape architecture as well ... I was interested to see Sasaki's LA Division is the design team behind the Ellinikon Metropolitan Park in Athens, Greece.
1673918374818.png
 
For Google Earth-aholics like myself...Portland's 3D View has been updated with new imagery from July 2022 (The previous 3D aerial used July 2019 imagery).

Someone who works on the Google Earth team must love Portland. Our 3D imagery updates fairly frequently and always looks vivid and beautiful.

Google Earth
 
Wasn't sure where to put this.....

www.pressherald.com

L.L. Bean announces $50 million upgrades to Freeport campus

The company announced plans Wednesday for a makeover of its flagship store and campus in Freeport.
www.pressherald.com www.pressherald.com

This is a pretty big deal IMO. LL Bean seems to have survived the great retail purge and has poured money into its HQ....and now the retail campus will get a much needed upgrade which should provide a nice shot in the arm to the Town of Freeport and draw more visitors.
 
mainejeff said:
Wasn't sure where to put this.....

www.pressherald.com

L.L. Bean announces $50 million upgrades to Freeport campus

The company announced plans Wednesday for a makeover of its flagship store and campus in Freeport.
www.pressherald.com www.pressherald.com

This is a pretty big deal IMO. LL Bean seems to have survived the great retail purge and has poured money into its HQ....and now the retail campus will get a much needed upgrade which should provide a nice shot in the arm to the Town of Freeport and draw more visitors.
Click to expand...
$50 million is a lot to work with. Freeport's primary problem is that it has not reconceptualized its retail town center into an equal focus of dynamic food and drink options. We'd rather just order our Bean Boots and outlet priced clothing online. But if the food and drink options are fun....
 
TC_zoid said:
$50 million is a lot to work with. Freeport's primary problem is that it has not reconceptualized its retail town center into an equal focus of dynamic food and drink options. We'd rather just order our Bean Boots and outlet priced clothing online. But if the food and drink options are fun....
Click to expand...
I'm hoping that, based on this substantial investment, L L Bean understands the issue you describe. After all, their own press release states in the first paragraph that their Freeport campus is the second-most-popular tourist spot in Maine.

Anyway, looking forward to whatever campus plan they eventually publish.
 
TC_zoid said:
$50 million is a lot to work with. Freeport's primary problem is that it has not reconceptualized its retail town center into an equal focus of dynamic food and drink options. We'd rather just order our Bean Boots and outlet priced clothing online. But if the food and drink options are fun....
Click to expand...
The latest version of Freeport's "Downtown Vision Plan" is here.
 
jlichyen said:
I'm hoping that, based on this substantial investment, L L Bean understands the issue you describe. After all, their own press release states in the first paragraph that their Freeport campus is the second-most-popular tourist spot in Maine.

Anyway, looking forward to whatever campus plan they eventually publish.
Click to expand...

LL Bean needs to up the dining options available on their campus.

They should have at least the following 3 dining options:

1. Upscale Lunch/Dinner restaurant with wild game and sustainable agriculture based menu. Venison, duck, fish, etc......this should be a no brainer. Themed to a rustic lodge or even a modern timber and glass....this place could be an attraction on its own. Suggested dining hours: 12-9 Sun-Thurs......12-10 Fri & Sat

2. Quick service restaurant with sandwiches, burgers, salads, etc. A more affordable option for families and people on-the-go. Suggested hours: 11-7....7 days a week.

3. Bakery/Coffee shop with coffees and pastries. Suggested hours: 6am - Midnight.....considering the store is open 24/7 and the entire state closes its food & coffee options by 8pm....the hours would be a big deal....many visitors would love coffee being available in the evening....it would actually draw people there!
 
mainejeff said:
LL Bean needs to up the dining options available on their campus.

They should have at least the following 3 dining options:

1. Upscale Lunch/Dinner restaurant with wild game and sustainable agriculture based menu. Venison, duck, fish, etc......this should be a no brainer. Themed to a rustic lodge or even a modern timber and glass....this place could be an attraction on its own. Suggested dining hours: 12-9 Sun-Thurs......12-10 Fri & Sat

2. Quick service restaurant with sandwiches, burgers, salads, etc. A more affordable option for families and people on-the-go. Suggested hours: 11-7....7 days a week.

3. Bakery/Coffee shop with coffees and pastries. Suggested hours: 6am - Midnight.....considering the store is open 24/7 and the entire state closes its food & coffee options by 8pm....the hours would be a big deal....many visitors would love coffee being available in the evening....it would actually draw people there!
Click to expand...
No one goes to Beans for the food. I do not see the need for any dining establishment ON their campus however all of the noted options should be available within a short distance of the campus. They need to stick to what they are good at not try to become everything to everyone and thus diluting the entire experience.
 
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