Portland Bayside

Good thing this wasn't built, I'd hate to make tourists pay another penny-on-the-dollar everythime they come to town
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While we're at it, good thing this wasn't built either, because I like how it's stayed a parking lot for two decades:

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It's also important to bear in mind that the city's permitting and zoning codes have improved a lot, just in the last few years (look at all the projects that have breezed through the approval process in the past year). So have the public's attitudes towards new development: NIMBYism is markedly weaker now than it was when I first moved back to Maine in 2006.

Those aren't the issues that are holding up the Federated Companies here: the neighborhood wants this project and the city has already done a lot of groundwork, with financial incentives and a lot of loosening of height and density limits, to make it happen.

There are bigger reasons why the proposed master plan can't get a rubber stamp. There are legitimate legal title issues with the proposal to move the property line into the trail right-of-way, an issue that's going to need approval from various transportation agencies that helped finance the trail. There's the question of whether the city and developers can partner to raise the elevation of Somerset Street, which would cost a lot but would also give the developers more breathing room on the lot. How would such a major infrastructure project be financed? Is it even feasible to build?

In the meantime, FedCo can't make a master plan — much less get one approved — when it isn't even sure where its buildings will be. It's a work in progress. And that's exactly what planning board workshops are for - to give developers a venue to see what the city might be willing to do to make the project work.

I'd also note that the city is preparing its Capital Improvement Plan budget for FY 2014. Somerset Street isn't on there yet. You're welcome to gripe on the internet all you want, but a more productive thing that citizens could do is write to the City Councilors on the Finance Committee to ask them to consider a line-item for Somerset Street in support/conjunction with this development, and start talking seriously with the developers about a private-public partnership on that infrastructure:

http://www.ci.portland.me.us/finance.htm
 
The problem is the disrespect developers here receive. Owen and joe weren't told no, they were told to f off basically
 
The Golden Triangle also had legal issues with respect to property line encroachments, but those weren't recognized until after it was built on (One City Center). The building was like a foot off the mark.

I think most of the problem here is not with the City, public cranks, or anything else as much as it is with the Press Herald spinning everything in a negative way. If two comments out of ten questioned the height, the headline would be "Skyscrapers Too Tall, Board Told" and that's hardly an exaggeration.
 
Also, the NIMBYism may be less city wide, but the Eastern Waterfront has only seen it increase.
 
I agree with Gritttys. I like how (he?) expresses himself. I love Portland, but it barely quallifies as a city in terms of size etc. It's history, in terms of relative size and importance, is far greater than it's present position in the country. Portland needs all the development it can get just to catch up to it's past prosperity.
 
davidc said:
I agree with Gritttys. I like how (he?) expresses himself. I love Portland, but it barely quallifies as a city in terms of size etc. It's history, in terms of relative size and importance, is far greater than it's present position in the country. Portland needs all the development it can get just to catch up to it's past prosperity.
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While some of your comment makes sense, and also while you won't find anyone more pro-urban development of Portland than me (I think a few people on here might tie!) I think this comment is factually incorrect. The word "city" is in no way connected to population (neither, for that matter, is urbanism). There are cities in Europe, even Northern New England that are far smaller than Portland yet far more urban than the metro slums of south and southwest America.

As far as catching up to past propsperity, that ship has sailed (straight out of Portland Harbor). Portland had relative mega-status in early U.S. history by virtue of the fact that the country was so small, and it all clustered around Philly to Boston). That's why Portsmouth was at one time one of the largest cities in the country. It wasn't, however, because the City embraced development more than it does today. I'd say global markets have led other cities to become "major" and left Portland in the "minor" category, and that won't change even if we permitted every development (times two) that was ever proposed.

I think it has to stay in its weight class. For a mid-sized city, it's one of the best in the country, amongst Burlington, Berkeley, Portsmouth, Ashville, Charleston, Greenville, etc. That's its competition, not NYC or even Boston/Providence.
 
portlandneedsnewarena said:
I totally agree with everything you stated. Portland's current skyline on a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate about a 3. If they cared so much about blocking the skyline view why did they allow the atrocity that is Bayview Apartments next to the Intermed building? Also, the unfinished look of the back of the Merrill Auditorium is another gem!!
The midtown project would only enhance the overall look of the City.
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I too am trying to understand the height concerns. What is so great about the view of the Portland "skyline" as it exists now from I-295? From a walk around Back Cove I look at it and I see lots of dreary old buildings that are at least three decades old, excepting of course the new, shiny Intermed building.

I don't know how some 165ft buildings with parking structures to accommodate them could possibly be worse for the neighborhood than what exists now: a huge pile of snow, a dirt parking lot for ecomaine recycling bins, followed by a fenced in dirt lot. The Bayside Trail could easily become a wide sidewalk along Somerset Street, and I say that as one of the five people who regularly uses it.

Hopefully after this is built the renewal could continue up towards downtown, starting next with that dumpy Noyes building.
 
^Welcome to the forum, Sommarnatt! Well said, I agree with both you and PortlandNeedsaNewArena about the current state of our skyline as viewed from I-295/Back Cove. It really is nothing to write home about. I do like how you can see city hall from this angle, but even our prettiest buildings (like the Time & Temp building and it's neighbor) look ugly on their northern-facing sides. Building attractive buildings of any height in Bayside would make the skylike better, not worse.

Speaking of not particularly attractive buildings, it looks like Pearl Place Phase II is complete, now. I saw some people moving their belongings in there today.

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Corey said:
Welcome to the forum, Sommarnatt!
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Thanks, Corey! I have been admiring your "Portland Daily Photo" blog for a few years now. When I look at your photography I am amazed by the stuff that I miss when I'm walking around, such as the Lobsterman statue at Middle & Temple. I guess I'm always reading the marquee for the movie theater when I'm in that area and not paying attention to much else.

Pearl Place is something else... The first time I walked by those buildings I was wondering if I'd found my way to Scandinavia.
 
Huge improvement over vacant lots and rundown tenement housing.
 
grittys457 said:
Wow, that one commenter destroyed everyone. He should win an award
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Pure brilliance, that's what it is.

Not sure if it's kosher to repost this here, but I'm going to anyway. These are the comments grittys457 is referring to:

"Alright, let's get class in session.

I am not shocked by this at all. As part of the silent majority in Portland, I almost want to tell Federated Companies thank you but you should take your hard work and projects to any other hundred normal cities that would not make you go through all this foolishness. I hope you stick it out, but nobody would blame you for getting out of this never ending loop which I'm sure is adding cost to the project. A quick email to Joe Boulos or Owen Wells would have saved you from all this. Heard from them lately? Wonder why.

Chestnut Street Lofters.......where in your condo contract did it say you bought a view of the bay that will never be changed for 100 years? I had no idea you actually got to purchase air rights across the city too, that's pretty sweet.

The insanity of this all is th...at the city planned and wanted a huge project. If you look at the original mock ups for Bayside, it looks far bigger than this project. Federated came in and did exactly what was asked of them and now our councils are pulling sight lines and meaningless height restrictions out on them. And enough with sight lines. We have one of the filthiest, drab skylines in the country. Franklin towers looks like a rejected building from the Caprini Green housing projects in Chicago. So you have Brickbob Squaretower on the hill which is 40 ft taller than this proposed shiny new tower, you have a gigantic housing project to another side, and on another side you are filled with more section 8'ers, soup kitchens, drunks, drug addicts, sleepers on benches, people urinating in public, and about as many sex offenders as you can pack into two blocks. I'm not making up that last part, the press herald did a story on it a year or two ago near Portland High.

And to who typed yesterday "We don't want to become Boston", enough with that foolishness. Somebody always brings that up. Cause a 165 ft building(which again is 40 ft shorter than Franklin and not on a hill) would turn us into a city ten times bigger overnight. Do you people actually know there are other cities in the country besides Boston and some of them have taller buildings too and haven't self destructed from it?

Anchorage Alaska- Conoco-Phillips Building 296 feet (22 floors).
Boise, Idahao - US Bank Plaza 267 feet (20 floors).
Billings, Montana- First Interstate Center 272 feet (20 floors).
Manchester, NH- City Hall Plaza 275 feet (20 floors).
Bismark, ND- North Dakota State Capitol 241 feet (19 floors).

Clearly all those places have millions of people living in the city.

And Charlie is right about the brick. Enough is enough is enough. Why we picked one era in time to make every building look like, I have no idea. They should replace all the sidewalks in the city with shag carpets so it matches. And you will...or would have....got your wish with this Federated project. It is a modern design....

http://rightsofway.blogspot.com/2013/02/bayside-update.html

So I await for Federated to pull out, for Portland to spend thousands more on a new "vision" which no company could possibly achieve, and for more chain fences and muddy fields to lay vacant for another two decades. Congrats Portland, you really showed them. Now hold on while I roll my window up as the fourth panhandler on this intersection comes up to my car"

and

"Thanks Charles. Why do I have such a strong opinion on these development topics? Because A) I'm probably a lifer in this city and I want my kids to have nice stuff to look at. B) I hate foolishness

As much positivity that has come from all our top ten lists and foodie fandom, I think it's also made some gigantic heads of some of us. This we are the greatest small town on the planet feeling and that our city is flawless looking. No it's not. It really looks depressing. I, like my new found Chestnut Street Lofter friends, have had an unobstructed view of it for most of my life. It's worn, it's tired, it looks like architectual death row in the late winter/early spring months.

Has Intermed really ruined anybody's lunch since it's been built? Were there mass suicides off of Tukey's bridge when Back Bay Tower was finis...hed? What is the problem with filling a dirt scrap yard remnant with a nice clean building with lots of fresh retail, plazas, and people who know to take their pants off before they go the bathroom?

New hotel tower in Portland? Four meetings and good luck to you good sirs

New residential tower in Portland? Hand over your first born son and we're gonna need your left kidney.

New Hooters? Ban every chain resident as an emergency act which killed The Keg Steakhouse(really nice mid tier steakhouse chain out of Canada) from signing a lease and investing a ton of money behind Old Port Sea Grill. Nevermind half the waitresses/bartenders in Portland show off more skin and that there is a certain bar a few blocks away where they......I won't even go there.

10 years later and over 35 million dollars just to upgrade the civic center and not even increase the seating. That's about all you have to know about the brain surgeons running this town."

Couldn't have said it better myself. Major thumbs up to this guy.
 
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