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Patrick
Guest
grittys457 said:
haha I dont know what to tell you other than 'the early bird get the worm' my friend. :lol:
haha I dont know what to tell you other than 'the early bird get the worm' my friend. :lol:
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Patrick
Guest
Those are great. what MP camera do you have, how many pixels, that is?
the second one looks like one i took and now have framed hanging in my room...thats a really good spot.
I swear we are going to run into each other one of these days in one of those spots, cameras in hand.
got any more?
the second one looks like one i took and now have framed hanging in my room...thats a really good spot.
I swear we are going to run into each other one of these days in one of those spots, cameras in hand.
got any more?
Haha yeah we are bound to run into each other someday, there aren't that many folk like us taking picture of non-touristy stuff in this town.
I have the Nikon d50, it is 6 megapixels. It is a great all around camera. I think I need to get my glass cleaned up and I've dropped her a few times. I use an 18-55 lens and a 70-300 one.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond50/
A few more random new ones...
Hopefully I can get the motivation to get out during the day next week.
I have the Nikon d50, it is 6 megapixels. It is a great all around camera. I think I need to get my glass cleaned up and I've dropped her a few times. I use an 18-55 lens and a 70-300 one.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond50/
A few more random new ones...
Hopefully I can get the motivation to get out during the day next week.
P
Patrick
Guest
wow what on earth is that last picture?
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Patrick
Guest
Construction has begun on the university commons at USM, which will border I-295 and Bedford Street when completed, as well as produce more continuity between that new parking garage and the glickman family library.
demolition was quick of that old industrial building that used to sit on the lot shown below, now construction should follow suit.
demolition was quick of that old industrial building that used to sit on the lot shown below, now construction should follow suit.
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Patrick
Guest
oh yeah and mercy hospital has put up the first wall of what looks to be the foundation of the new fore river campus. moving fast. the entire hobo jungle came down in a matter of days, now they are moving very rapidly. maine med is surging forward, too.
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Patrick
Guest
emporis.com has updated its Portland, ME page with images of construction status for chestnut street lofts from december.
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Patrick
Guest
Freeport project seeks to mix tradition, flash
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By TESS NACELEWICZ, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald Saturday, January 13, 2007
FREEPORT - The Boston developer who is behind the largest project ever proposed for Freeport village faces a design challenge: Make the retail/restaurant parking complex "edgy" enough to entice shoppers to stay in town into the evening while having it conform to the quaint New England appearance of Main Street.
Berenson Associates Inc. also is considering a new name for the $45 million complex, which would have 118,500 square feet of retail and restaurant space and a 529-space parking garage -- the town's first parking structure.
The complex would be built on 3.6 acres that the developer would lease from L.L. Bean.
The site is a full block bordered by Main, Bow, Depot and Mill streets.
Berenson had proposed calling it the Freeport Village Center, but Town Planner Donna Larson and others have pointed out that is what residents already call the downtown district, so the developer is considering other names.
The goal of the project, according to the developer, is to change Freeport from an outlet center to a "destination lifestyle center."
The complex would have more full-priced retail stores and a full-service restaurant, which would encourage shoppers to stay in town into the evening, allowing stores to stay open beyond their usual 6 p.m. closing time.
To help attract evening shoppers, the developer is proposing that buildings in the complex be allowed to have signs that differ from the types usually seen in Freeport, according to a presentation made to the Project Review Board last week.
Sean Selby of Arrowstreet, the Massachusetts architecture firm that is designing the project, said most signs around town are lettered in a traditional way and illuminated by lights that shine on them.
Similar signs are proposed for the complex, but so are signs lighted from behind, creating a halo effect, Selby said. He said such signs would "create a little excitement," drawing shoppers visually.
Freeport design standards don't allow neon signs or signs lighted from within, but Selby said halo lighting appears to be permitted.
However, review board member Erik Anderson expressed reservations and asked for a ruling from the town's code enforcement officer about the sign proposal.
He conceded that Freeport may need to go more "in the direction of edgier, but there's an argument to be made that Freeport is conservative for a reason."
Fred Leighton, a resident, warned that whatever latitude is allowed one developer might have to be granted to others.
"I think we have to be aware that whatever is done here could be done elsewhere," he said.
Larson said after the meeting that "a certain amount of edginess will fit into our ordinance, I'm sure."
Discussing other design matters, Larson praised the developer for "working with the board" on such issues as preserving a historic building and incorporating it into the project design.
The two-story, brick Mallet building, built in 1888 and a landmark on Mill street, was the office of Edmund B. Mallet. The wealthy industrialist and philanthropist helped transform Freeport from a farming community into an industrial center. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Larson said Freeport's design ordinance requires developers to be sensitive to historic structures.
The board praised the developer for incorporating brickwork and a clock tower into the design of the complex. John Cole, principal of Arrowstreet, said the design echoes a large brick shoe factory that stood on the site decades ago.
A public hearing on the project is scheduled before the Project Review Board on Feb. 14.
Staff Writer Tess Nacelewicz can be contacted at 791-6367 or at:
E-mail this page Reader Comments (below)
By TESS NACELEWICZ, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald Saturday, January 13, 2007
FREEPORT - The Boston developer who is behind the largest project ever proposed for Freeport village faces a design challenge: Make the retail/restaurant parking complex "edgy" enough to entice shoppers to stay in town into the evening while having it conform to the quaint New England appearance of Main Street.
Berenson Associates Inc. also is considering a new name for the $45 million complex, which would have 118,500 square feet of retail and restaurant space and a 529-space parking garage -- the town's first parking structure.
The complex would be built on 3.6 acres that the developer would lease from L.L. Bean.
The site is a full block bordered by Main, Bow, Depot and Mill streets.
Berenson had proposed calling it the Freeport Village Center, but Town Planner Donna Larson and others have pointed out that is what residents already call the downtown district, so the developer is considering other names.
The goal of the project, according to the developer, is to change Freeport from an outlet center to a "destination lifestyle center."
The complex would have more full-priced retail stores and a full-service restaurant, which would encourage shoppers to stay in town into the evening, allowing stores to stay open beyond their usual 6 p.m. closing time.
To help attract evening shoppers, the developer is proposing that buildings in the complex be allowed to have signs that differ from the types usually seen in Freeport, according to a presentation made to the Project Review Board last week.
Sean Selby of Arrowstreet, the Massachusetts architecture firm that is designing the project, said most signs around town are lettered in a traditional way and illuminated by lights that shine on them.
Similar signs are proposed for the complex, but so are signs lighted from behind, creating a halo effect, Selby said. He said such signs would "create a little excitement," drawing shoppers visually.
Freeport design standards don't allow neon signs or signs lighted from within, but Selby said halo lighting appears to be permitted.
However, review board member Erik Anderson expressed reservations and asked for a ruling from the town's code enforcement officer about the sign proposal.
He conceded that Freeport may need to go more "in the direction of edgier, but there's an argument to be made that Freeport is conservative for a reason."
Fred Leighton, a resident, warned that whatever latitude is allowed one developer might have to be granted to others.
"I think we have to be aware that whatever is done here could be done elsewhere," he said.
Larson said after the meeting that "a certain amount of edginess will fit into our ordinance, I'm sure."
Discussing other design matters, Larson praised the developer for "working with the board" on such issues as preserving a historic building and incorporating it into the project design.
The two-story, brick Mallet building, built in 1888 and a landmark on Mill street, was the office of Edmund B. Mallet. The wealthy industrialist and philanthropist helped transform Freeport from a farming community into an industrial center. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Larson said Freeport's design ordinance requires developers to be sensitive to historic structures.
The board praised the developer for incorporating brickwork and a clock tower into the design of the complex. John Cole, principal of Arrowstreet, said the design echoes a large brick shoe factory that stood on the site decades ago.
A public hearing on the project is scheduled before the Project Review Board on Feb. 14.
Staff Writer Tess Nacelewicz can be contacted at 791-6367 or at:
P
Patrick
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City tries to help YWCA sell its building
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By KELLEY BOUCHARD, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald Saturday, January 13, 2007
Portland officials are trying to broker an agreement with the state housing authority that would help the debt-ridden YWCA of Greater Portland dispose of its former headquarters on Spring Street.
The YWCA closed its building at 87 Spring St. in October and is trying to sell it to pay debts totaling $2.3 million.
A public auction in December was put on hold so the YWCA could seek an exemption from a city ordinance that requires the replacement of any housing units that are lost in the sale of the headquarters.
The property has been assessed for tax purposes and listed for sale at $4.9 million, but city and state officials have raised questions since then about the building's condition and actual market value.
Built in 1960 and expanded in 1966, the brick structure contains large amounts of hazardous asbestos. The indoor swimming pool has significant structural problems and the 50 or so rooming-house units need major updates, city and state officials said Friday.
"It's a money pit," said Councilor James Cloutier, a real estate lawyer who serves on the council's housing committee.
Among those expected to bid on the property is the Maine State Housing Authority, which holds a deed covenant that requires the building to remain a residence for women in transition and crisis through 2029.
The authority acquired the covenant in 1999 because it gave the YWCA more than $1 million in funding.
YWCA officials have asked the City Council to designate the sale a "project of special merit" so potential buyers won't be restricted by the housing replacement ordinance.
The council's housing committee voted 3-0 this week to recommend against the special designation.
Committee members decided the pending sale and debt resolution plan don't constitute a project, Cloutier said.
The committee also directed city staffers to work with representatives of the YWCA and the Maine State Housing Authority to find a creative solution to the YWCA's problems.
"We all have an interest in preserving housing in the city," Cloutier said. "We hope the city can play a constructive role. We want to make sure everyone is doing the best they can."
YWCA and state housing officials said they welcome the city's assistance and remain committed to providing housing for women in need.
Concerns about the run-down condition of the YWCA headquarters aren't new, said Catharine Hartnett, an executive board member.
Hartnett said the YWCA and the Maine State Housing Authority have been negotiating a potential sale since last summer. Under one scenario, outlined in a YWCA document, the state would have paid $2.8 million for the property. Under another scenario, the state offered $1.6 million, far less than the YWCA's debt obligation.
"They're very familiar with that building," Hartnett said. "It's an albatross. We will continue to look for a creative solution, but we need to do what's financially responsible for the Y."
She said bankruptcy remains an option.
The City Council is scheduled to consider the YWCA's request for an ordinance exemption at 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.
Without the exemption, the buyer would have to maintain the existing housing units, replace them elsewhere in the city or pay $30,000 per unit to the city's housing fund.
The YWCA's debts include $700,000 in loans from Maine Bank and Trust. It also owes $552,000 to the state Department of Health and Human Services, $398,000 to various vendors and $118,000 in severance payments to former YWCA employees, according to a YWCA document.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
kbouchard@pressherald.com
Reader comments
voter of Port., ME
Jan 13, 2007 7:39 AM
Bravo to the city for retaining the requirement to provide housing or $30,000 per unit. It's long past time for developers to pay their dues for the profits they earn off the disadavantaged.
E-mail this page Reader Comments (below)
By KELLEY BOUCHARD, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald Saturday, January 13, 2007
Portland officials are trying to broker an agreement with the state housing authority that would help the debt-ridden YWCA of Greater Portland dispose of its former headquarters on Spring Street.
The YWCA closed its building at 87 Spring St. in October and is trying to sell it to pay debts totaling $2.3 million.
A public auction in December was put on hold so the YWCA could seek an exemption from a city ordinance that requires the replacement of any housing units that are lost in the sale of the headquarters.
The property has been assessed for tax purposes and listed for sale at $4.9 million, but city and state officials have raised questions since then about the building's condition and actual market value.
Built in 1960 and expanded in 1966, the brick structure contains large amounts of hazardous asbestos. The indoor swimming pool has significant structural problems and the 50 or so rooming-house units need major updates, city and state officials said Friday.
"It's a money pit," said Councilor James Cloutier, a real estate lawyer who serves on the council's housing committee.
Among those expected to bid on the property is the Maine State Housing Authority, which holds a deed covenant that requires the building to remain a residence for women in transition and crisis through 2029.
The authority acquired the covenant in 1999 because it gave the YWCA more than $1 million in funding.
YWCA officials have asked the City Council to designate the sale a "project of special merit" so potential buyers won't be restricted by the housing replacement ordinance.
The council's housing committee voted 3-0 this week to recommend against the special designation.
Committee members decided the pending sale and debt resolution plan don't constitute a project, Cloutier said.
The committee also directed city staffers to work with representatives of the YWCA and the Maine State Housing Authority to find a creative solution to the YWCA's problems.
"We all have an interest in preserving housing in the city," Cloutier said. "We hope the city can play a constructive role. We want to make sure everyone is doing the best they can."
YWCA and state housing officials said they welcome the city's assistance and remain committed to providing housing for women in need.
Concerns about the run-down condition of the YWCA headquarters aren't new, said Catharine Hartnett, an executive board member.
Hartnett said the YWCA and the Maine State Housing Authority have been negotiating a potential sale since last summer. Under one scenario, outlined in a YWCA document, the state would have paid $2.8 million for the property. Under another scenario, the state offered $1.6 million, far less than the YWCA's debt obligation.
"They're very familiar with that building," Hartnett said. "It's an albatross. We will continue to look for a creative solution, but we need to do what's financially responsible for the Y."
She said bankruptcy remains an option.
The City Council is scheduled to consider the YWCA's request for an ordinance exemption at 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall.
Without the exemption, the buyer would have to maintain the existing housing units, replace them elsewhere in the city or pay $30,000 per unit to the city's housing fund.
The YWCA's debts include $700,000 in loans from Maine Bank and Trust. It also owes $552,000 to the state Department of Health and Human Services, $398,000 to various vendors and $118,000 in severance payments to former YWCA employees, according to a YWCA document.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
kbouchard@pressherald.com
Reader comments
voter of Port., ME
Jan 13, 2007 7:39 AM
Bravo to the city for retaining the requirement to provide housing or $30,000 per unit. It's long past time for developers to pay their dues for the profits they earn off the disadavantaged.
P
Patrick
Guest
If this happens, it will bring the total number of screens in the Maine Mall area of South Portland to 40. Now talk about demand.
Mall owner files plans to build 16-screen theater, restaurants
January 17, 2007
The owners of the Maine Mall in South Portland are moving ahead with plans for a 3,200-seat megaplex movie theater, which would be built in the space formerly occupied by Filene's.
General Growth Properties also wants to build four new restaurants at the site, according to documents filed with the city last week.
The concept for the theater includes an oversized lobby, stadium seating for all screens, rocking high-backed seats and retractable cup holders. Other details, including site plans and possible restaurant tenants, have not been released.
"We're in the process of scheduling talks with the design team and the city's review team," said South Portland planner Steve Puleo, who met at the mall Tuesday with officials from General Growth. "It is very early in the process."
General Growth, based in Chicago, has an ambitious timetable for construction of the state-of-the-art 16-screen theater, Puleo said. The company would need approval from the city, as well as the state Transportation and Environmental Protection departments, within the next four months to begin construction July 1, as proposed.
"The mall is seeing that they have some pretty good competition cropping up all over," Puleo said. Spokespeople for General Growth did not return calls for comment Tuesday.
Parking spaces and stormwater runoff could be significant hurdles for the theater project, Puleo said. Construction would actually result in a net loss of about 200 parking spaces in the mall parking lot. But the remaining 5,635 spaces would still be enough to handle the mall and theater traffic, according to a parking report prepared for General Growth.
The overall parking plan needs approval from the South Portland Board of Appeals, which will consider the issue at its Feb. 28 meeting. If approved, General Growth would then bring full plans to the Planning Board.
The proposal is similar to one that surfaced in February 2005, when Regal Entertainment Group announced plans to build a 16-screen megaplex in the mall parking lot, near J.C. Penney. That particular site, though, had a number of design obstacles, and the deal fell apart.
Around that same time, Zyacorp Entertainment announced its own 16-screen Cinemagic on Route 22 in Westbrook, less than three miles from the mall. The theater opened last June.
There was some speculation that the market could not support two megaplexes so close to each other. However, Russ Nunley, Regal Entertainment's vice president of marketing, said the company never lost interest in the Maine Mall location.
"It is still on our books that we intend to build there," Nunley said Tuesday.
The closure of Filene's at the mall last year, and the subsequent purchase of the building by General Growth, gave the mall owner a chance to work with Regal Entertainment.
The project gives the theater an ideal location as an anchor to a major shopping center, and it gives General Growth a chance to revitalize foot traffic in the mall, said Patrice Duker of the International Council of Shopping Centers, a New York-based trade association.
Duker said large property owners such as General Growth have been shifting to theaters and other entertainment businesses as mall anchors instead of traditional department stores.
"Given the issues with what is happening with department stores, the mergers and closures, you are really seeing folks change up the mix," Duker said.
Regal Entertainment, based in Knoxville, Tenn., is the largest theater company in the country, operating 542 theaters in 40 states, including theaters in Augusta, Brunswick, Falmouth and the Clarks Pond 8 in South Portland. Nunley was uncertain about the future of Clarks Pond 8 if the Maine Mall project goes through.
Staff Writer Trevor Maxwell can be contacted at 791-6451 or at:
Reader comments
1-10 of 10 comments:
Jeff of Vonore, TN
Jan 17, 2007 9:55 AM
I like the idea of a large modern stadium seating theater in the Maine Mall. With all of the rainy and cold weather that Maine gets throughout the year it sounds like the perfect fit.....shopping, dining, and movies all under one roof.
To the people who want ANOTHER department store.....*yawn*......yeah, that's just what the Mall needs (sarcasm). Go shop in downtown Portland or the Old Port if you want something "different".
The one store that may have been cool to have is a Bass Pro Shop, but those are usually stand alone stores and require A LOT of space and parking. And with the impending arrival of Cabellas in Scarborough.....that may have been too much saturation of that market.
Cool Ray of Portland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 9:32 AM
"The mall really needs some more unique stores that will make people want to drive there to go to them over some of the other spots in Maine that are now developing so rapidly. So how about a nice Crate and Barrel and an Apple store."
What is unique about Crate and Barrel or Apple?
These stores are available at most malls in America.
Malls are not about unique stores or Mom and Pop stores. Malls are about getting American Pop Culture into as many hands as possible.
A mall in Maine is pretty much like a mall anywhere. The Mall of America is huge, but it's filled with the same stores and merchandise that is available coast to coast. Heck, there are three Victoria's Secret stores at the MOA, all selling the same stuff.
DC of Portland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 9:26 AM
Wow this is a shock; I thought for sure that they would want to put the 8th Jewelry store (9 if you count the new one in the parking lot) in the mall rather than another movie theater!
~ End Sarcasm ~
We already have the NICK, Regal, and Cinemagic theaters in the area. I can't imagine that this will attract people to the mall. If they feel the need to put some entertainment into the mall they should put in an IMAX theater instead.
Maybe the Women's Filenes space will be used for some new stores.
ddpowers of Scarborough, ME
Jan 17, 2007 9:25 AM
Here Here! The last thing we need around the mall is another theater and more mediocre-at-best chain restaurants. Barnes and Noble anyone? A decent department store... Macy's is a joke since they remodeled and bought Filene's. The teens are well represented for clothing, how about the not quite middle-aged crowd. The best I can hope to do is Eddie Bauer... help us out and you'll get a lot more business
Jess of Portland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 8:55 AM
I hope they bring in a Smokey Bones restaurant! It's hard to believe that Bangor has this tasty treat but Portland doesn't... I like the idea of a new theater but would really enjoy a less expensive trip to the movies.
Tee of Rockland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 8:47 AM
I would have to agree with the sentiments expressed here about the movie theater. That is that it isn't a good choice for the mall. A lot of mall traffic comes from distances such as I do (80 miles) and one thing I am not going to do is drive to Portland to go to the movies. We aren't lacking for movie theaters at all in Rockland and I suspect that a lot of people could drive less time and go to a good theater such as Brunswick or Augusta.
The mall really needs some more unique stores that will make people want to drive there to go to them over some of the other spots in Maine that are now developing so rapidly. So how about a nice Crate and Barrel and an Apple store. Someone mentioned Nordstroms and what about a Lord and Taylor. Drive just a few hours down to road to NH and Mass and you find a lot of different stores that don't come to Maine. The Mall should be working on those. A theater is going to offer nothing for shoppers. The Mall needs to get some of these stores in that their local competition can't. I hope with the Best Buy loss the Mall will do something better than what they are doing here.
Dennis of Saco, ME
Jan 17, 2007 8:05 AM
that's all we need at the mall - another movie theatre. We need a quality store to compete against Macy's like Bloomingdale's or Dillard's.
Fenmeister of Cumberland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 8:00 AM
I imagine that having a tenant in the former Filene's is better than an empty building, but I'm disappointed. While Nordstrom is moving into Massachusetts, and malls in more populous areas are hosting waves of new stores, the best Maine can come up with is another movie theater. What a waste of such a valuable property! I know that in Farmington, CT, Westfarms Mall had to close their movie houses because of the large numbers of young people "hanging out" and disturbing shoppers. I hope the employees of the GAP and other stores in that wing are prepared for the large increase in foot traffic; not necessarily from people with the intent to buy. I also should add that more movie houses in the Portland area still doesn't mean more movie choices. Even at the new Westbrook Cinemagic, the most talked-about film movie "Dreamgirls" didn't open there until January 12; My friend and I saw it in Newington, New Hampshire.
One movie theater Portland could use is an IMAX. While I've heard from others that IMAX isn't doing well financially, that hasn't prevented them from opening theaters elsewhere, sometimes in smaller markets than Portland. Maybe my expectations are too high, but for its high foot traffic, and its high dollar-per-square-foot sales, I wish that the Maine Mall would have had more choices with the Filene's property.
voter of Port., ME
Jan 17, 2007 7:51 AM
Parking should not be a problem; there is ample space to have a multilevel parking garage to offer additional parking as necessary. The mall would be a great place for a large movie theatre.
MsAinSoPo of So Po, ME
Jan 17, 2007 7:28 AM
"Parking spaces and stormwater runoff could be significant hurdles for the theater project, Puleo said. Construction would actually result in a net loss of about 200 parking spaces in the mall parking lot. But the remaining 5,635 spaces would still be enough to handle the mall and theater traffic, according to a parking report prepared for General Growth."
Rubbish!
The mall needs MORE parking, not less! Not that I like going there, but when I do I go during non-peak hours so that I CAN find a space. We also do not need another movie theater and more restaurant chains (I'm assuming they are chains). We need a quality department store like Dillard's to replace Filene's.
Mall owner files plans to build 16-screen theater, restaurants
January 17, 2007
The owners of the Maine Mall in South Portland are moving ahead with plans for a 3,200-seat megaplex movie theater, which would be built in the space formerly occupied by Filene's.
General Growth Properties also wants to build four new restaurants at the site, according to documents filed with the city last week.
The concept for the theater includes an oversized lobby, stadium seating for all screens, rocking high-backed seats and retractable cup holders. Other details, including site plans and possible restaurant tenants, have not been released.
"We're in the process of scheduling talks with the design team and the city's review team," said South Portland planner Steve Puleo, who met at the mall Tuesday with officials from General Growth. "It is very early in the process."
General Growth, based in Chicago, has an ambitious timetable for construction of the state-of-the-art 16-screen theater, Puleo said. The company would need approval from the city, as well as the state Transportation and Environmental Protection departments, within the next four months to begin construction July 1, as proposed.
"The mall is seeing that they have some pretty good competition cropping up all over," Puleo said. Spokespeople for General Growth did not return calls for comment Tuesday.
Parking spaces and stormwater runoff could be significant hurdles for the theater project, Puleo said. Construction would actually result in a net loss of about 200 parking spaces in the mall parking lot. But the remaining 5,635 spaces would still be enough to handle the mall and theater traffic, according to a parking report prepared for General Growth.
The overall parking plan needs approval from the South Portland Board of Appeals, which will consider the issue at its Feb. 28 meeting. If approved, General Growth would then bring full plans to the Planning Board.
The proposal is similar to one that surfaced in February 2005, when Regal Entertainment Group announced plans to build a 16-screen megaplex in the mall parking lot, near J.C. Penney. That particular site, though, had a number of design obstacles, and the deal fell apart.
Around that same time, Zyacorp Entertainment announced its own 16-screen Cinemagic on Route 22 in Westbrook, less than three miles from the mall. The theater opened last June.
There was some speculation that the market could not support two megaplexes so close to each other. However, Russ Nunley, Regal Entertainment's vice president of marketing, said the company never lost interest in the Maine Mall location.
"It is still on our books that we intend to build there," Nunley said Tuesday.
The closure of Filene's at the mall last year, and the subsequent purchase of the building by General Growth, gave the mall owner a chance to work with Regal Entertainment.
The project gives the theater an ideal location as an anchor to a major shopping center, and it gives General Growth a chance to revitalize foot traffic in the mall, said Patrice Duker of the International Council of Shopping Centers, a New York-based trade association.
Duker said large property owners such as General Growth have been shifting to theaters and other entertainment businesses as mall anchors instead of traditional department stores.
"Given the issues with what is happening with department stores, the mergers and closures, you are really seeing folks change up the mix," Duker said.
Regal Entertainment, based in Knoxville, Tenn., is the largest theater company in the country, operating 542 theaters in 40 states, including theaters in Augusta, Brunswick, Falmouth and the Clarks Pond 8 in South Portland. Nunley was uncertain about the future of Clarks Pond 8 if the Maine Mall project goes through.
Staff Writer Trevor Maxwell can be contacted at 791-6451 or at:
Reader comments
1-10 of 10 comments:
Jeff of Vonore, TN
Jan 17, 2007 9:55 AM
I like the idea of a large modern stadium seating theater in the Maine Mall. With all of the rainy and cold weather that Maine gets throughout the year it sounds like the perfect fit.....shopping, dining, and movies all under one roof.
To the people who want ANOTHER department store.....*yawn*......yeah, that's just what the Mall needs (sarcasm). Go shop in downtown Portland or the Old Port if you want something "different".
The one store that may have been cool to have is a Bass Pro Shop, but those are usually stand alone stores and require A LOT of space and parking. And with the impending arrival of Cabellas in Scarborough.....that may have been too much saturation of that market.
Cool Ray of Portland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 9:32 AM
"The mall really needs some more unique stores that will make people want to drive there to go to them over some of the other spots in Maine that are now developing so rapidly. So how about a nice Crate and Barrel and an Apple store."
What is unique about Crate and Barrel or Apple?
These stores are available at most malls in America.
Malls are not about unique stores or Mom and Pop stores. Malls are about getting American Pop Culture into as many hands as possible.
A mall in Maine is pretty much like a mall anywhere. The Mall of America is huge, but it's filled with the same stores and merchandise that is available coast to coast. Heck, there are three Victoria's Secret stores at the MOA, all selling the same stuff.
DC of Portland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 9:26 AM
Wow this is a shock; I thought for sure that they would want to put the 8th Jewelry store (9 if you count the new one in the parking lot) in the mall rather than another movie theater!
~ End Sarcasm ~
We already have the NICK, Regal, and Cinemagic theaters in the area. I can't imagine that this will attract people to the mall. If they feel the need to put some entertainment into the mall they should put in an IMAX theater instead.
Maybe the Women's Filenes space will be used for some new stores.
ddpowers of Scarborough, ME
Jan 17, 2007 9:25 AM
Here Here! The last thing we need around the mall is another theater and more mediocre-at-best chain restaurants. Barnes and Noble anyone? A decent department store... Macy's is a joke since they remodeled and bought Filene's. The teens are well represented for clothing, how about the not quite middle-aged crowd. The best I can hope to do is Eddie Bauer... help us out and you'll get a lot more business
Jess of Portland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 8:55 AM
I hope they bring in a Smokey Bones restaurant! It's hard to believe that Bangor has this tasty treat but Portland doesn't... I like the idea of a new theater but would really enjoy a less expensive trip to the movies.
Tee of Rockland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 8:47 AM
I would have to agree with the sentiments expressed here about the movie theater. That is that it isn't a good choice for the mall. A lot of mall traffic comes from distances such as I do (80 miles) and one thing I am not going to do is drive to Portland to go to the movies. We aren't lacking for movie theaters at all in Rockland and I suspect that a lot of people could drive less time and go to a good theater such as Brunswick or Augusta.
The mall really needs some more unique stores that will make people want to drive there to go to them over some of the other spots in Maine that are now developing so rapidly. So how about a nice Crate and Barrel and an Apple store. Someone mentioned Nordstroms and what about a Lord and Taylor. Drive just a few hours down to road to NH and Mass and you find a lot of different stores that don't come to Maine. The Mall should be working on those. A theater is going to offer nothing for shoppers. The Mall needs to get some of these stores in that their local competition can't. I hope with the Best Buy loss the Mall will do something better than what they are doing here.
Dennis of Saco, ME
Jan 17, 2007 8:05 AM
that's all we need at the mall - another movie theatre. We need a quality store to compete against Macy's like Bloomingdale's or Dillard's.
Fenmeister of Cumberland, ME
Jan 17, 2007 8:00 AM
I imagine that having a tenant in the former Filene's is better than an empty building, but I'm disappointed. While Nordstrom is moving into Massachusetts, and malls in more populous areas are hosting waves of new stores, the best Maine can come up with is another movie theater. What a waste of such a valuable property! I know that in Farmington, CT, Westfarms Mall had to close their movie houses because of the large numbers of young people "hanging out" and disturbing shoppers. I hope the employees of the GAP and other stores in that wing are prepared for the large increase in foot traffic; not necessarily from people with the intent to buy. I also should add that more movie houses in the Portland area still doesn't mean more movie choices. Even at the new Westbrook Cinemagic, the most talked-about film movie "Dreamgirls" didn't open there until January 12; My friend and I saw it in Newington, New Hampshire.
One movie theater Portland could use is an IMAX. While I've heard from others that IMAX isn't doing well financially, that hasn't prevented them from opening theaters elsewhere, sometimes in smaller markets than Portland. Maybe my expectations are too high, but for its high foot traffic, and its high dollar-per-square-foot sales, I wish that the Maine Mall would have had more choices with the Filene's property.
voter of Port., ME
Jan 17, 2007 7:51 AM
Parking should not be a problem; there is ample space to have a multilevel parking garage to offer additional parking as necessary. The mall would be a great place for a large movie theatre.
MsAinSoPo of So Po, ME
Jan 17, 2007 7:28 AM
"Parking spaces and stormwater runoff could be significant hurdles for the theater project, Puleo said. Construction would actually result in a net loss of about 200 parking spaces in the mall parking lot. But the remaining 5,635 spaces would still be enough to handle the mall and theater traffic, according to a parking report prepared for General Growth."
Rubbish!
The mall needs MORE parking, not less! Not that I like going there, but when I do I go during non-peak hours so that I CAN find a space. We also do not need another movie theater and more restaurant chains (I'm assuming they are chains). We need a quality department store like Dillard's to replace Filene's.
P
Patrick
Guest
Waterview developer sets sights on St. Paul
By Kate Bucklin (published: January 18, 2007)
PORTLAND ? Jeffrey Cohen, the developer trying to build a 12-story condominium tower in Bayside, has big development plans for St. Paul, Minn., where he is close to buying a 15-acre former brewery he hopes to turn into a little village.
Despite the Midwest move, Cohen said this week that Waterview is still a viable project, and he hopes to begin construction this spring.
?I am in the process of negotiating a construction loan,? said Cohen.
The news of Cohen?s Twin Cities interests popped up in several St. Paul newspapers a week ago when he announced a purchase agreement with the owner of Schmidt Brewery. The former brewery, according to news reports, includes several castle-like buildings on a 15-acre campus close to the Mississippi River. Cohen wants to redevelop the property into a village with housing, shops and offices. He would partner with his son Craig, a St. Paul resident, and with a local community council.
In a Jan. 9 article from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, Cohen says he has never undertaken a project as large as the brewery redevelopment, but ?he pointed to a $60 million development underway in Maine ...?
Cohen said in an interview Tuesday there is still ?a while to go? before he decides what the St. Paul project would look like.
In May 2005, Cohen was approved to build Waterview, a 97-unit, 12-story condominium tower, on a parcel bordered by Forest and Cumberland avenues and Mechanic Street in Bayside. Initial site work was done in August and September of that year, but Cohen lost financing for the project and has not found another bank willing to finance the $60 million project.
?It?s hard to get a construction loan for a condominium,? he acknowledged this week.
The loss of financing led to a mechanics lien being filed by the contractor that completed the initial site work.
The Waterview project was also the subject of a lawsuit filed by the owners of Back Bay Tower, a condominium building located across Mechanic Street from the Waterview site. Seaforth Housing objected to the scale and scope of Waterview and said it would adversely impact its building. Cohen prevailed in that lawsuit.
A Web site shows Waterview at Bayside units for sale, and directs interested parties to fill out a form for more information. The site is hosted by Downeast Realty. Cohen has said the units at Waterview would range in price from $275,000 to $400,000.
Cohen showed up on the Portland development and real estate scene in late 2003, when he bought the Time and Temperature Building on Congress Street and soon after proposed Waterview. He was for several years a prominent developer in Washington D.C., trying to redevelop poor neighborhoods in the city. Several of his proposed projects there never came to fruition, including a $200 million project to build housing, office and retail space in an impoverished D.C. neighborhood.
In December, Cohen sold the Time and Temperature Building on Congress Street to a New York company for $13 million. He still owns the Gateway Parking Garage on Cumberland Avenue, which he purchased in December 2005 for $9 million.
By Kate Bucklin (published: January 18, 2007)
PORTLAND ? Jeffrey Cohen, the developer trying to build a 12-story condominium tower in Bayside, has big development plans for St. Paul, Minn., where he is close to buying a 15-acre former brewery he hopes to turn into a little village.
Despite the Midwest move, Cohen said this week that Waterview is still a viable project, and he hopes to begin construction this spring.
?I am in the process of negotiating a construction loan,? said Cohen.
The news of Cohen?s Twin Cities interests popped up in several St. Paul newspapers a week ago when he announced a purchase agreement with the owner of Schmidt Brewery. The former brewery, according to news reports, includes several castle-like buildings on a 15-acre campus close to the Mississippi River. Cohen wants to redevelop the property into a village with housing, shops and offices. He would partner with his son Craig, a St. Paul resident, and with a local community council.
In a Jan. 9 article from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, Cohen says he has never undertaken a project as large as the brewery redevelopment, but ?he pointed to a $60 million development underway in Maine ...?
Cohen said in an interview Tuesday there is still ?a while to go? before he decides what the St. Paul project would look like.
In May 2005, Cohen was approved to build Waterview, a 97-unit, 12-story condominium tower, on a parcel bordered by Forest and Cumberland avenues and Mechanic Street in Bayside. Initial site work was done in August and September of that year, but Cohen lost financing for the project and has not found another bank willing to finance the $60 million project.
?It?s hard to get a construction loan for a condominium,? he acknowledged this week.
The loss of financing led to a mechanics lien being filed by the contractor that completed the initial site work.
The Waterview project was also the subject of a lawsuit filed by the owners of Back Bay Tower, a condominium building located across Mechanic Street from the Waterview site. Seaforth Housing objected to the scale and scope of Waterview and said it would adversely impact its building. Cohen prevailed in that lawsuit.
A Web site shows Waterview at Bayside units for sale, and directs interested parties to fill out a form for more information. The site is hosted by Downeast Realty. Cohen has said the units at Waterview would range in price from $275,000 to $400,000.
Cohen showed up on the Portland development and real estate scene in late 2003, when he bought the Time and Temperature Building on Congress Street and soon after proposed Waterview. He was for several years a prominent developer in Washington D.C., trying to redevelop poor neighborhoods in the city. Several of his proposed projects there never came to fruition, including a $200 million project to build housing, office and retail space in an impoverished D.C. neighborhood.
In December, Cohen sold the Time and Temperature Building on Congress Street to a New York company for $13 million. He still owns the Gateway Parking Garage on Cumberland Avenue, which he purchased in December 2005 for $9 million.
P
Patrick
Guest
Questions surround sale of market
E-mail this page Reader Comments (below)
By KELLEY BOUCHARD, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald Friday, January 19, 2007
Portland Public Library trustees must answer several questions before they ask city officials and taxpayers to consider buying the former Portland Public Market.
The market building is owned by Guggenheim Real Estate LLC, a national real estate investment company that wants to sell the property to the library. Trustees want to buy the property on Cumberland Avenue to provide a new or expanded home for the library's main branch on Congress Street.
Trustees say that if the library buys the market building, which stands to the rear of the main branch, it's unclear whether the main branch should be kept or sold. It's also unclear what renovations would be needed in the market building and how much they would cost.
Nathan Smith, vice president of the board of trustees, said library officials are consulting architects and contractors to answer questions. They're also negotiating a price with Guggenheim -- something less than $4 million -- and hope to offer a purchase proposal to Mayor Nicholas Mavodones Jr. and the rest of the City Council within two to three weeks.
What is certain, trustees say, is that the 32,000-square-foot building would require some changes and additional space to accommodate the collections and offices contained in the 77,000-square-foot main branch.
"We need... at least as much space as we have now," said Peter Merrill, a trustee. "We've got a lot of work to do, and we've got to do it fast."
Mavodones said the council will give the idea serious thought. "I think it's a unique and exciting opportunity," he said Thursday. "In the end, we'll have to determine whether it financially makes sense for the parties involved and the taxpayers."
If the council approves the purchase, Portland voters could be asked to reconsider their 2004 approval of a $4 million bond issue to help renovate the main branch.
Mavodones noted that a unanimous council and 65 percent of voters agreed to borrow $4 million toward the $8.5 million renovation.
He also said that many people have encouraged him to support the concept of acquiring the market building.
"People seem to like the idea," Mavodones said. "I don't think they understand the logistics of how it would happen, but they like it."
Opened in 1979, the library building is owned by the city. It operates as a nonprofit corporation financed largely by the city.
According to state law, the council may discuss real estate negotiations in a closed meeting, but any vote on buying the market building must be held in public.
Mavodones said the council would hold a public hearing on any purchase proposal or related bond referendum, which could happen early this year.
The $8.5 million library renovation has been on hold for more than a year, and the city has delayed issuing the $4 million bond because the library has had trouble raising its $4.5 million share.
The library has raised about $2.2 million, officials said.
The Libra Foundation, a charitable trust established by the late Elizabeth Noyce, opened the Portland Public Market in 1998. It's a two-story, open-concept building lined with windows. The foundation announced in June that it had a buyer for the market building and its other Portland properties.
A spokesman for the new owner said earlier this week that Guggenheim Real Estate would like to sell the building to the library.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
E-mail this page Reader Comments (below)
By KELLEY BOUCHARD, Staff Writer Portland Press Herald Friday, January 19, 2007
Portland Public Library trustees must answer several questions before they ask city officials and taxpayers to consider buying the former Portland Public Market.
The market building is owned by Guggenheim Real Estate LLC, a national real estate investment company that wants to sell the property to the library. Trustees want to buy the property on Cumberland Avenue to provide a new or expanded home for the library's main branch on Congress Street.
Trustees say that if the library buys the market building, which stands to the rear of the main branch, it's unclear whether the main branch should be kept or sold. It's also unclear what renovations would be needed in the market building and how much they would cost.
Nathan Smith, vice president of the board of trustees, said library officials are consulting architects and contractors to answer questions. They're also negotiating a price with Guggenheim -- something less than $4 million -- and hope to offer a purchase proposal to Mayor Nicholas Mavodones Jr. and the rest of the City Council within two to three weeks.
What is certain, trustees say, is that the 32,000-square-foot building would require some changes and additional space to accommodate the collections and offices contained in the 77,000-square-foot main branch.
"We need... at least as much space as we have now," said Peter Merrill, a trustee. "We've got a lot of work to do, and we've got to do it fast."
Mavodones said the council will give the idea serious thought. "I think it's a unique and exciting opportunity," he said Thursday. "In the end, we'll have to determine whether it financially makes sense for the parties involved and the taxpayers."
If the council approves the purchase, Portland voters could be asked to reconsider their 2004 approval of a $4 million bond issue to help renovate the main branch.
Mavodones noted that a unanimous council and 65 percent of voters agreed to borrow $4 million toward the $8.5 million renovation.
He also said that many people have encouraged him to support the concept of acquiring the market building.
"People seem to like the idea," Mavodones said. "I don't think they understand the logistics of how it would happen, but they like it."
Opened in 1979, the library building is owned by the city. It operates as a nonprofit corporation financed largely by the city.
According to state law, the council may discuss real estate negotiations in a closed meeting, but any vote on buying the market building must be held in public.
Mavodones said the council would hold a public hearing on any purchase proposal or related bond referendum, which could happen early this year.
The $8.5 million library renovation has been on hold for more than a year, and the city has delayed issuing the $4 million bond because the library has had trouble raising its $4.5 million share.
The library has raised about $2.2 million, officials said.
The Libra Foundation, a charitable trust established by the late Elizabeth Noyce, opened the Portland Public Market in 1998. It's a two-story, open-concept building lined with windows. The foundation announced in June that it had a buyer for the market building and its other Portland properties.
A spokesman for the new owner said earlier this week that Guggenheim Real Estate would like to sell the building to the library.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
P
Patrick
Guest
I spent a good hour driving around greater portland today--a lot is going on construction wise.
I took some pictures, but have not been able to download them.
The lofts on chestnut street (right next to the high school) are coming right along, and look impressive heading west past them on cumberland avenue.
The custom house wharf building is rising steadily in steel.
SMCC has a new steel frame up of about five stories in south portland for new residence halls.
In scarborough, the new 5-story marriot hotel across from circuit city is two floors off the ground.
And Mercy Hospital has steel rising from the concrete now.
Maine meds addition looks like it may almost be topped out, too.
I took some pictures, but have not been able to download them.
The lofts on chestnut street (right next to the high school) are coming right along, and look impressive heading west past them on cumberland avenue.
The custom house wharf building is rising steadily in steel.
SMCC has a new steel frame up of about five stories in south portland for new residence halls.
In scarborough, the new 5-story marriot hotel across from circuit city is two floors off the ground.
And Mercy Hospital has steel rising from the concrete now.
Maine meds addition looks like it may almost be topped out, too.
P
Patrick
Guest
The paper keeps reporting that waterview is breaking ground this spring/summer, and the signs for the project are still up advertising it as "opening in 2007" which may be a little outdated by now. It would be nice if the project had stayed don track. But I am still hopeful nonetheless.
everytime I drive into falmouth the graves hill signs are still up, just waiting for land clearing from the looks of it. I dont know what happened to that project, but even if it didnt go up it really wouldnt matter because its practically in falmouth anyway, you cant even see it from anywhere in the city of portland, its in the woods, you have to drive to see that area, it wouldnt influence the skyline at all.
everytime I drive into falmouth the graves hill signs are still up, just waiting for land clearing from the looks of it. I dont know what happened to that project, but even if it didnt go up it really wouldnt matter because its practically in falmouth anyway, you cant even see it from anywhere in the city of portland, its in the woods, you have to drive to see that area, it wouldnt influence the skyline at all.
grittys457
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You'd be able to see it on 295 wouldn't you?
P
Patrick
Guest
No, I dont think that you could, but if you could, it would onlly be the building tops, which would barely stick out over the tops of the trees. nothing significant to add to the skyline....
Also, look in the business section of Tuesday's (Tomorrow's) Press Herald....there is going to be an article on the future office building development going on in Bayside, according to today's paper.
"Coming UpTuesday: In five years or so, office buildings could rise in a section of Portland's Bayside neighborhood this is now vacant land, parking lots and old-style street lights. A commercial real estate broker has begun a national advertising campaign to sell lots within the 6.5-acre strip, and is getting calls from developers."
Also, look in the business section of Tuesday's (Tomorrow's) Press Herald....there is going to be an article on the future office building development going on in Bayside, according to today's paper.
"Coming UpTuesday: In five years or so, office buildings could rise in a section of Portland's Bayside neighborhood this is now vacant land, parking lots and old-style street lights. A commercial real estate broker has begun a national advertising campaign to sell lots within the 6.5-acre strip, and is getting calls from developers."
grittys457
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That sounds like good news. The first reading of the motion to overturn the formula business thing is tonight. I plan on going to the second meeting when they vote. Looks like they have the votes anyway.
You see last week when people said that I should be a councilor on the press herald comments? Damn right. Run you right the hell out of town Pat. Oh wait, I already did.
Going to the gym tonight for the first time since I saw you. Been to scared to show up with my twig arms.
You see last week when people said that I should be a councilor on the press herald comments? Damn right. Run you right the hell out of town Pat. Oh wait, I already did.
Going to the gym tonight for the first time since I saw you. Been to scared to show up with my twig arms.