Maine Public Broadcasting Bldg. | 25 Commercial St. | Portland

Cosakita18 said:
Sad news....This project is officially dead. Maine Public is going to be moving into the former public market building on Prebble / Cumberland.

Apparently Maine Public had some fundraising issues and the board wasn't fully supportive of the huge upfront cost for constructing a new HQ and wanted funds directed elsewhere.
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Looks like they've updated their presentation video to reflect this - https://www.mainepublic.org/a-new-home-for-maine-public-the-need
 
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On the one hand I'm disappointed that the 25 Commercial St building isn't happening, on the other hand I don't hate this reuse of the Public Market building, on the third hand I still like the Public Market as a Public Market best and any other use of that space will be a little disappointing.

While it isn't the most inspiring stretch of street right now, remember the Bayside MDP calls for modifying some of the ground floor of the parking garage into retail and/or incubator space.
 
The original public market building did not work because it was kind of hidden behind the Fidelity Trust building, adjoining a part of town we would all avoid (and still do). It was also a different decade (1998), one in which for the residents of the city it was more about the Old Port or Commercial Street for experiencing food and drink. It was somewhat of an architectural masterpiece, ideally designed as a public food and gathering space with high ceilings featuring beautiful wood beams bathed in natural light. And the centered majestic granite fireplace rising up into that light created a feeling for an almighty food worship. If Jesus were around, maybe he would have a roll here. From the outside at night, the inside of the market as seen through its full skin of windows drew one in with its warm and inviting glow.

Today, for its planned conversion from a layout designed for Cash Star, a marketing firm of which added a second level floor dotted with cubicles, a media center and production space idea will need opened up spaces and substantial new wiring configurations. A large warehouse space would have been the better choice for this kind of use. I think they were focused on wanting something relatively new and grand and centrally located (and the connected garage with a skywalk was a plus for the winter months). Building at least two big production sets/stages with easy access for changing configurations requires a substantial dock and access. The limited in/out access for larger trucks and the narrow "L" shape of the building is not conducive to a production space. Additionally, hanging anything from above (heavy lights, etc.) will require new framework and so the beautiful wood beams bathed in sunlight will need to be an after-thought. But it will be a fun place for them to sit and do their webcasts.
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We could probably have an entire thread talking about the original Public Market and what went wrong. I think part of it was that it was priced and marketed for the folks working downtown and commuting in from Deering and the suburbs, but they didn't make the trek down the hill to buy groceries for dinner before heading home.
But I still remember the first time I entered via the bridge from the parking garage, and how explosive the color was on the A.J. Kennedy produce stand.

Can't MPB expand the WCBB studio building in Lewiston? It's not like they're producing a nightly newscast that needs to be proximate to downtown. Or, how much might it cost to buy the former Channel 8 studio in Auburn, which wasn't that old when they bought Channel 51 and moved to their place in Westbrook.
 
Maine Public's CEO was on Maine Calling this morning to discuss their purchase of the former Public Market building and their intention to move their Portland facilities into that building by the end of 2025. I think he said that the buildout of the new studios has already begun. Slab will stay at their end of the market.

He talked briefly about the failed Commercial Street proposal and basically said that after they purchased the property and put plans together for a 5-story building construction costs increased so much that it became unrealistic to pursue it.

While it would have been nice to see this building fill in a parking lot on Commercial Street, I'm also happy to see that the public market is going to be reactivated in this way. This will be their radio broadcast studios, so hopefully it will be busy -- lots of people coming and going. If 465 Congress and the Time & Temp complex are ultimately reactivated then Monument Square should have a new lease on life!
 
The Press Herald story: https://www.pressherald.com/2024/08...tudio-build-event-space-at-old-public-market/

I pulled together a quick timeline from the Portland Assessor database:

10/25/2019: Auto Europe sells the Galt Block (listed by the city as 29 Commercial; AE always used 39 Commercial as the mailing address) and the adjoining parking lot (25 Commercial per the database) to something called Essex North for a combined $10.5 million (10m for the building , 500k for the parking lot)

9/23/2021: Essex North sells both properties to Maine Public for a combined $10.76 million (7.8 for the building, just under 3 for the parking, I'm rounding here).

12/22/2021: MPBN sells the Galt Block to Olympia (or, more specifically, a new Olympia REIT) for an even 7 million, which means they effectively spent 3.76 million for the parking lot.

Note on the sale by Auto Europe: I think we talked about it at the time, but Mainebiz covered it here. EssexNorth was/is apparently owned by the developer who built two of the properties on the former Grand Trunk station site: the AC Hotel and 20 Thames. They had plans for a software company called Certify to lease the Galt Block with a move-in at the end of 2020, but I've never seen any sign that that happened and I'm guessing Covid blew it up. So the building still stands empty and, if one is to believe the comments at the PPH, the sheltered entryway alcove is essentially the Portland Public Illegal Drug Market.
 
With the building purchase and renovation, it comes to $35 million. Yet again, this once marvelous public market is being gutted to become something else. I would have bought a warehouse in Bayside for this use case. It would have been a kind of open canvas renovation, so easier to do this way, or for production studio space. But maybe they are thinking more on cubicles (the way it is now) and telemarketing, like the old PBS fundraising model. It would have been maybe half the cost too, but I guess they wanted to be in a better location. But is it, really? Debatable.

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Not my money and if that's the route Maine Public chooses for their future home good for them. I'm am just pleased the building will have a new purpose and will hopefully add some vitality to the Monument Square area especially when the Fidelity Building finally gets renovated. I've given up hope on the Time & Temperature Building.
 
Portlander said:
Not my money and if that's the route Maine Public chooses for their future home good for them. I'm am just pleased the building will have a new purpose and will hopefully add some vitality to the Monument Square area especially when the Fidelity Building finally gets renovated. I've given up hope on the Time & Temperature Building.
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That intersection will (hopefully) also have the (approved?) building replacing the church and also the ground floor retail additions to the garage.
 
How many buildings other than the church will be torn down for this building? Interested in that footprint.
 
It's time for an urban renewal for this area, or at least a deep cleaning. The Preble Street Resource Center needs to go somewhere else, or not down the street from the high school. The hit job NY Times article from 3 weeks ago had many pics of the addicts and miscreants in front, and not just there, but across in the closed Monument Street Garage. I couldn't believe the imagery, the graffiti, the trash on the floor surface, the addicts shooting up and de facto living there. It reminded of images from war torn Ukraine, not beautiful Portland, Maine. And where are the cops, walking around on the beat? I've noticed in Portland now, seeing police walking on the street is nearly non-existent. It's happening all over the nation, this lack of personal appearance from law enforcement.
 
Interesting comment from Reddit (so add plenty of salt) regarding the proposed MPBS site next to the Galt Block...
There was high lead in the adjacent parking lot soil. My company did an investigation. It really wasn't that big a deal unless they wanted to build something there. The solution would be just put a deed restriction and say it needs to stay paved.
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