General Portland Discussion

[PlantArch]

Portland unveils plans to revitalize Congress Street amid growing safety concerns

I do get there are legitimate safety concerns in the area, but to call what they're proposing a 'revitalization' is laughable. As far as I can tell they're proposing: a different approach for city staff in dealing with the homeless, 'safety measures and tools', a (one?) new bike share station, the return of the arts market? Seasonal outdoor seating? Interest free loans for businesses to update storefronts? I would say the city is doing the bare minimum, but I think it's even less than that. No mention of lighting, at the very least? Come on...

That was exactly my impression. As one with 40 years experience in designing public spaces I laughed at the thought that this was going to have anything but a negative effect on the area. Who do they think is going to be occupying those seasonal seats? It will be those they would rather encourage to move out of the area. Again in typical Portland fashion it is lipstick on a pig.

 

[PWMFlyer]

Again, a kneejerk response to something that should have been done 4 years ago, but with Covid it, the problem increased.
There are positives that no one talks about?
465 Congress Street Hotel Conversion
Portland Public Market Conversion to Maine Public
Starbucks on upper Congress to a new Coffee hangout
Herald Sq project
Live nation project
477 Time & Temp building
511 office to apartment conv.
To curb these issues, fix the lights that have been out for 4 years
Go after Cross Jewelers for boarding up there storefront. Who approved this? I doubt it went to the Historic Cmm
Artist studios should occupy vacant stores
Bring back Alive at 5, Farmers Market, close down congress street for art walk, bring back the Sidewalk Art festival by Channel 6
Fire the current Downtown District Director.... what has been done?

 

[TC_zoid]

Creative enthusiastic residents with a proper work ethic make a city great. If many are wandering around on crank and flakka and fentanyl, I don't see a revitalization. I see this behavior all over the country now. Why would it change if we don't address it?

 

[Portlander]

Sadly, on my walk around downtown scenes like this are becoming more common on Congress Street. Broad daylight in front of what used to be Maine's premier office building there is open drug use, profanity and total lack of civility. In addition, the litter, graffiti and smell of urine along the street was appalling with zero police presence all the way up to Longfellow Square. Portland is no longer immune to the social deterioration and blight that plagues most other cities across the country and if we don't get a grasp on solving these issues my hometown could reach the point of no return just like Trenton, Lawrence, Camden, Wheeling, Pine Bluff, Gary and Bridgeport to name a few.

Props to the Downtown District for keeping Monument Square tidy (though there was not one Ambassador in sight today) but it needs to extend towards Congress Square in my opinion. My family is arriving next month for a visit and I would be ashamed to drive my 88 year old mother down her favorite street growing up let alone taking her for a walk along Congress. The tourist friendly portion of downtown Portland sharply ends at Monument Square and with the exception of the Portland Museum of Art, Springers and the Westin there is little reason to explore westward. And why has that decrepit leaning former bank sign not been removed from the sidewalk?

 

[TC_zoid]

Thank you for posting this brave picture. If you go to Google Street view images from this location appear that aren't much different. I'd copy the recent NY Times article and post it as a slide show, but I don't want to make everyone in our blog cry. There is seriously failed leadership in Portland! I had no idea it was this bad. When I'm in town, I usually spend my time in the Old Port and waterfront areas. Isn't using illegal drugs illegal? Apparently, it's allowed on the streets and in the heart of the city. I like to joke about the condition of other cities in the country because I do so much traveling, and now I guess I have to include my hometown. City "leadership" has not only defunded the police, but they have taken away the spirit of it to do its job. Patrols with pairs of officers should be walking around and arresting those who break the law. Perhaps taking this image and creating fliers with profile pictures at the bottom of all the city counselors, the manager, and mayor in a kind of smiling team montage "thanking them" for this tragedy might be one way to go. I would not be surprised now to see 60 Minutes do a piece on Portland. Anderson Cooper would not be kind.

Obviously, the Portland Press Herald has lost its courage in becoming a crucial source of journalism for the people. How symbolic--even the clock sign on the sidewalk has graffiti and it's leaning, like a drunk on the sidewalk. Portlander, if you give me permission to use your photo with the proper wording underneath, I will spend up to 5K to publish it, somewhere. But then again, it would create more publicity and it can work against you too. Obviously, the PPH has lost its guts and those who truly love Portland need to take charge. A properly run city must remove people from public areas if it infringes upon the rights of others. And how ironic it is too, that the PPH posted an expansive feature this week praising Fore Street restaurant, of which I think, is the key historical point for Portland having become a destination city for food and drink offerings. It looks like the city has another "accolade" on the way... "Number 1 fastest decline city in America."

I was wondering why condo prices in Portland have gone down and single family homes off the peninsula have gone up so exorbitantly.

 

[Portlander]

Patrols with pairs of officers should be walking around and arresting those who break the law.

Could not agree with you more and I think the Mayor (former Cumberland County Sheriff) and the director of the Downtown District are considering bringing foot patrols back to Congress Street which would help as long as they are proactive. I would prefer if you didn't use this particular photo because I'd rather not incriminate any individual that may be not be involved in anything other than loitering. I just needed to vent this morning after witnessing first hand what the local media has been reporting concerning the continued decline of Congress Street, thanks.

 

[Portlander]

"Number 1 fastest decline city in America."

I think things are still salvageable and Portland is safe from showing up on this list any time soon. The rehab of the "Time & Temperature" and "Fidelity" buildings are vital to the revitalization of that stretch of Congress Street and the developers need to get these two projects underway.

 

[DesertMaineiac]

Unfortunately, thank you for posting the above pic for us to commiserate over or discuss. I made my annual pilgramage back to Portland the other week and like all of us with an eye for observation around the city. The last few years I noticed the homeless encampments that the city was working on removing, which seems to have had some success. But what I noticed is what others have mentioned. I could not get over the amount of loiterers along Congress Street, Marginal Way, and near Deering Oaks. The panhandlers were out along the exits of 295, but noticed them around 302 and Riverside Drive too near the new shelter. On two occasions during the morning I noticed city staff breaking up groups of homeless under bridges along 295. What I found alarming was the growing amount of graffiti throughout the city on buildings, walls, signs and telephone poles. Worse than I can remember or recall. Never a good precursor.

Driving down Congress Street past Monument Square toward Maine Med was clearly an area in decline. No wonder the office buidlings can't attract tenants and Reny's wants the lease to expire. The state tree could be switched to a 'For Lease' sign, which are everywhere. A family, I'd guess from out of town, was waiting to cross at Congress and High Streets and looked visibly troubled about which way to cross to avoid undesirables on both sides of the street. All I remember a few years back when the Westin wanted to build event/conference space on Congress Square Park and the outrage of losing that space and trying to come up with ways to activate that space. Fast forward to present. You turned a tax generating use that would bring people downtown and at the current rate the Westin flag could be lost due to a decaying situation. The Longfellow Hotel had a lot of fanfare for opening, but I wouldn't be in a hurry to stay right around it. And the Musuem of Art's plan to spend 10's of millions and give a reason for more people to come downtown, let's find a way to kill that too. New concert space and venue to come downtown? Let's make sure to roadblock that. At the rate its going fewer people will want to go to the State Theater and dinner nearby. A few years back many said the city staff and council were all shills for the developers and the change we got were policies to penalize, add delays to the development process, and moratoriums to those looking to bring money into the city. I hope there is still a focus on turning non-profit and underutilized parcels into higher tax generating parcels. Hopefully, the Re-Code efforts and additional height allowances will help. Building condos for wealthy out of town residents to live in a portion of the year? Great. Add to the tax base and not utilize or burden hardly any city services? Seems better than the alternative. Observing city hall's policies, inabilities, and lack of elected leadership is disheartening. Almost like shooting yourself in the foot and then stopping to reload. Hard to beleive that the mayor is the ex-sherriff and has citizens and business owners saying areas of his city are becoming no-go zones. Do we beleive the city will be effective in the correction efforts?

And while we can come up with a laundry list of items to complain about, there are many bright spots. I still believe the city has the ability to continue to grow and be one of the renowned small cities in the country (with a decent sized metro). City and developer focus centered on the Old Port and eastern waterfront out to the old B&M plant is paying dividends and looks good. I am impressed with the new national retailers that are bullish on, and locating along, Middle Street. This is where visitors want to be and spend time. From Franklin Arterial along Fore around the Eastern Prom really plays on the city's current and scenic strengths. Redevelopment and new uses, like the proposed music hall, Herald Square, and the Casco generate an interest and energy as people want to experience what is new and the synergy associated with it. The City can then focus efforts on revitalizing Congress Street. They did it back in the 90's with a focus on retail. Now the focus will be housing. There are great developers in the city, such as Redfern, that can, and have, delivered as many have pointed out. That is where I put my hope and that they can push forward and take the risks in carrying the city forward.

We're often critical in this forum because we care, and we want the best for this special city and its potential. I still like the prior marketing line- Portland. How Maine does a city. The state has tens of thousands of square miles of rural land, can we just have a few square miles to try to achive a truly positive urban experience without constant pushback?! We hope that many of these bold proposals, along with smaller infill projects, come to fruition. It's why we follow this forum. As it is said in The Shawshank Redemption, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies"!

 

[Portlander]

Well written DesertMaineiac and you have my vote if you decide to run for Mayor upon your hopeful return home to Portland someday!