Herald Square | 385 Congress St | Portland

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This Joe Boulos proposal had an office tower, hotel and convention center planned for the site and would have been a great anchor for the east end of Congress Street.
 
DV74 said:
I really don't understand why top of the Old Port parking is still there. Especially with the whole shift of workers. That is prime real estate and could make a huge impact on Portland with the right project. I keep hoping for a convention center as well.
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The private owners are still making tons of money with little overhead; that's why it's still there. I'm still surprised it didn't get the 325' limit, unless someone on the Recode committee was spiting the ownership.

PWMFlyer said:
My dream for the Top of the Old Port lot, discontinue the street and adjoin the herald sq lot, doesn't have to be as big, same concept
https://www.signatureboston.com/hynes/
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Considering part of the plan for Bayside involves extending Pearl all the way to Marginal Way, I doubt it would be discontinued. But they could always do a skybridge between the properties!

Personally, I realize this is a hot potato concept (essentially more urban renewal), but I've long thought that a convention center on Pleasant St., in the area across from the Civic Center, with a passage underneath Spring connecting to the Civic Center would be ideal.
 
PWMFlyer said:
Would love to see a 5,000 seat venue like the MGM in Boston. Its very hard logistically to host events at the Merrill especially with the lack of a loading dock. https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=44cf...EY0QjhCRUU0MDdEQTZFMjQwODUmRk9STT1WSVJF&ntb=1
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Yes, MGM is a nice facility and it's next door to an outdoor one that seats over 40,000. We'd then have 5,000 standing outdoors (Thompson's Point), 7,000 at Hadlock, 6,000 at Fitzpatrick, 5,200 (Mem), 5,000 for this one, then 1,900 (M), 2,200 (E), and 6,200 (CIA) for indoor seated facilities. When the Civic Center first opened in the late 70s they were cramming in 9,000 for concerts. I still strongly think that Fitzpatrick should be an indoor soccer field with the ends that could open up. 30,000 in attendance is realistic for top level concerts. If Bangor can draw 16,000 for top named artists, then certainly Portland can with a population draw of close to 4 million (the Portland area at 500 thousand and the top half of Boston and southern NH at 3.5 million). A 90 min drive or less is not much (or an easy and comfy train ride). An indoor venue at 30,000 seats would mean a monopoly for most of New England that would hold 10,000 more during the colder months of the year. And for larger field events inside during the colder months (football and soccer), the only place competitive is Syracuse, NY at 49,000 seats. But no one in the Boston area will go there except to see BC vs Syracuse Univ. So tired of people saying it can't be done. Be creative. "Maine, the way life could be."
 
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The Cross Insurance Arena has 6200 "fixed" seats which include loge, telescopic, club, ADA platforms and premium suites. Total capacity can exceed 8000 depending on the stage configuration when floor seats are added. Rule of thumb for maximum capacities at the CIA for promoters: hockey and ice shows 6200, basketball 7000, end stage concerts 8000, in the round 8200. Aerosmith has claim to the largest attendance in the late 70's with 10,000 for a general admission concert. "The Who" tragedy at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum in 1979 led to the eventual elimination of general admission concerts along with reduced capacities at many arenas across the country due to safety.
 
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