Portland Foreside | 58 Fore Street | Portland

[TC_zoid]

On a weekday, go to Twelve a half hour before it opens and wait in line to sit at the bar (table reservations are booked weeks in advance). Order anything and you will leave thinking you just had the dining experience of a lifetime. (I've been to the best restaurants all over the country.) The sous chef at Twelve used to be the sous chef at Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan, and that restaurant a few years ago when he was there was voted the best in the world by a top accolade source. Do it. You only live once.

 

[markhb]

Some photos of the gap between the street and the surviving older buildings; hopefully they're working on restoring them. The cliff face at left is the original shoreline.

 

[markhb]

 

[nomc]

Does anyone know the extent to which this development has plans to prevent flooding? I haven't listened to all the meetings, but I don't recall hearing much/any discussion about it. As it stands in 2024, storm surge - particular with the astronomical high tide - easily makes it to the path, even with the fancy dock system. The first floor in the renderings and plans looks to be at the same grade as the current parking lot, so I can't imagine that'll go well in the future.

Compare all of this to Roux where there has been much discussion and thought to flooding.

 

[cneal]

If you look at Portland's FEMA flood maps, the eastern prom trail along the eastern waterfront is generally 12-13 feet in elevation, which is better off than the old B&M building, whose south end is at about 10' elevation and has been getting pretty wet this winter.
https://portlandme.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=975da31f7aff455d8da5ae0776efac55
https://portlandme.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=975da31f7aff455d8da5ae0776efac55
(zoom way in to see elevation contours)

But your point is absolutely right – 12 feet was considered 'safe' just a couple of years ago, and now it's not. Boston is planning to raise its flooding waterfront roadways to 16 feet. The target is likely to keep moving higher, faster than anyone expected.

That said, developers are getting good at raising ground levels in waterfront developments, so it's not a dealbreaker, and I expect that the suckers who sell the insurance for this project will insist on it.

 

[nomc]

Just noticed Turner is opening an office on York St - I don't believe they've had a Portland office before, right? Either a good sign for 58 Fore or that sentiment on larger projects in Portland is still strong.

 

[TC_zoid]

Just noticed Turner is opening an office on York St - I don't believe they've had a Portland office before, right? Either a good sign for 58 Fore or that sentiment on larger projects in Portland is still strong.

Jim Brady and his hotel/condo project across from the Press Hotel has been MIA.
I don't think that high priced condo density to live at is as much of an interest now from out of state buyers. I've been looking around Sebago Lake and the East Grand Ave. area of OOB and the prices for land or tear downs for single family home builds has skyrocketed. I have a friend who bought a wonderful new home in an upscale development in Cumberland last year, and it has gone up in value by 25%. I see this as a much better investment or place to live than a condo within a grouping.

 

[markhb]

Jim Brady and his hotel/condo project across from the Press Hotel has been MIA.
I don't think that high priced condo density to live at is as much of an interest now from out of state buyers. I've been looking around Sebago Lake and the East Grand Ave. area of OOB and the prices for land or tear downs for single family home builds has skyrocketed. I have a friend who bought a wonderful new home in an upscale development in Cumberland last year, and it has gone up in value by 25%. I see this as a much better investment or place to live than a condo within a grouping.

There is a long-standing tradition in Portland that any proposal for the Congress/(Pearl)/Franklin/Cumberland/Myrtle blocks just misses the market. Just like the old tradition here, before the Maine forum was created, that any Portland project that got its own thread never got built.