Portland Foreside | 58 Fore Street | Portland

We now have a corner:
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Bonus view:
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Cool. It's contrastingly amusing with a low income housing project across the street.
 
It will be interesting with the company that purchased the low income housing development and the building that used to house SMRT and the outgoing Vets what will come of the dirt parking lot and building
 
PWMFlyer said:
It will be interesting with the company that purchased the low income housing development and the building that used to house SMRT and the outgoing Vets what will come of the dirt parking lot and building
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Well let me take a stab guess. The low income housing will become high-end condos. (Although I think if you paint each one a different color it could become some kind of Christo-like scaled canvas. That might be cool to see from the harbor.
 
I skimmed the recording of the Economic Development committee's meeting earlier this week, which included discussion of a TIF request by this developer.

I didn't get the full story, but in essence the developer said that the pandemic affected their plans, and that the financing they'd originally lined up changed, and they ended up having to put up the land as collateral on the loan for the currently-under construction Sun Life building.

Committee members who spoke were generally opposed to the TIF request. They said that the city should focus on promoting affordable housing, and that the waterfront is not hurting for development. They developer of this site said they were planning to build affordable housing on-site as required by the Inclusionary Zoning ordinance and he thought this would amount to around 40 units, which didn't impress committee members.

Interestingly, during his comments the developer said that the above-ground utilities currently serving the marina are meant to be temporary, and that part of the future infrastructure work that he's requesting the TIF for would go towards putting all the utilities underground.

This was a workshop and so no vote was taken, but the committee did not seem receptive to the TIF request in its current form.
 
This week I noticed steel going up that was higher than 4 stories - I hadn't ever looked at the plans, just the renderings that were posted here. Looking at the plans now there is a penthouse in addition to mechanical. I also noticed that the steel started ~30' in from the rear of the foundation for creation of a "waterproof plaza deck" using precast pavers.

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Max said:
Interestingly, during his comments the developer said that the above-ground utilities currently serving the marina are meant to be temporary, and that part of the future infrastructure work that he's requesting the TIF for would go towards putting all the utilities underground.

This was a workshop and so no vote was taken, but the committee did not seem receptive to the TIF request in its current form.
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Pretty much all of the marina as it is now is intended to be "temporary" whether temporary means 2 years or 20 years remains to be seen. I know that the developers have gotten A LOT of flack from the neighborhood and other stakeholders about how the marina has been developed...and that criticism is absolutely warranted, in my opinion.

On a more positive note, steel is rising quickly for SunLife.
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I noticed at the end of last week they paved the lot all the way down to the far end of the existing buildings. I guess this would be "temporary" marina parking? They used it all last year without paving it so why while there is still heavy machinery going back and forth?
 
cneal said:
The elevator core for what I think is the "pattern storehouse" is also going up next to the trail right now:
www.pressherald.com

City wants developers to reconsider plan for historic Portland Co. building

Portland's historic preservation manager says proposed alterations for a restaurant, offices and a residential unit could compromise the historical character of the Pattern Storehouse.
www.pressherald.com www.pressherald.com
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Cool. It is stupid to classify this building as historic. All old buildings are historic, and a train manufacturing facility is nothing of note. It's certainly no Abyssinian House, of which the city neglected for years until BLM lit a fire under them (sorry for the pun).
 
There's a seemingly eternal struggle between historicity and the ADA (which wasn't mentioned, but, elevator). It reminds me of the fact that, to this day, because of the historic requirements there is no wheelchair access to the Roma Cafe.
 
TC_zoid said:
Cool. It is stupid to classify this building as historic. All old buildings are historic, and a train manufacturing facility is nothing of note. It's certainly no Abyssinian House, of which the city neglected for years until BLM lit a fire under them (sorry for the pun).
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True that the Abyssinian House has an amazing cultural history as the third oldest African American church in the U.S; what’s distinct about the history of the Pattern Building is it’s connection to the invention of an end-to-end process for manufacturing steam-railroad locomotives, as well as boilers and engines for over 350 marine vessels and gunboats for the Civil War. It’s a connection to a history of innovation that Portland can be proud of as it continues to evolve into the future.
 
When does the history of a site become so diluted it doesn't matter? A part of the history of this site is the relationship the buildings - move a building and you change the story. And it was diluted further when it was dismantled - the bricks (now randomized? not the sign portion, though) and some wooden 'structure' are going to only look similar. The new restaurant might be really cool but I doubt I'll view the reconstructed building as historic.
 
nomc said:
When does the history of a site become so diluted it doesn't matter? A part of the history of this site is the relationship the buildings - move a building and you change the story. And it was diluted further when it was dismantled - the bricks (now randomized? not the sign portion, though) and some wooden 'structure' are going to only look similar. The new restaurant might be really cool but I doubt I'll view the reconstructed building as historic.
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Preservation of structures isn’t what limits Portland, it’s height limits and minimum parking requirements.

With a few 20 story towers around it, the preservation of this handsome building would be a charming reminder of historic uses in this area and how it has developed while also indicating that our best days are ahead, not behind.
 
Tom Nevers said:
Preservation of structures isn’t what limits Portland, it’s height limits and minimum parking requirements.

With a few 20 story towers around it, the preservation of this handsome building would be a charming reminder of historic uses in this area and how it has developed while also indicating that our best days are ahead, not behind.
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Yes. Go stand in Copley Square in Boston and look at the gorgeous 19th Century Trinity Church reflecting into the 60 story glass Hancock Tower. Sheer beauty, the past connecting to the present.
 
The historical building is going up:

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The rear east vertical steel is up - first chance to get a feel for the width of the building and the opening between the new and the existing building:

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