Portland, ME - New Construction Continued

Man the India Street area just keeps getting better and better! I think the cPort building is a great corner infill proposal, although I'm not crazy about the tall blank wall presented by the stair/elevator shaft on the India street side. There is a planning staff suggestion that this shaft be moved to the other side of the building and a more attractive facade face India Street. Not sure if that's feasible but it would drastically improve the aesthetics. With the current construction and all the proposals for new construction a whole new neighborhood is being created down there.

I agree that the elevator / stair portion of this building should be moved to the back and that the facade should continue to the edge of 62 India Street. On another note, this proposal should appear on Emporis's Portland page by the end of the week.

https://www.emporis.com/city/101732/portland-me-usa
 
I was at the UNE campus in Portland today and wow, have they done a great job with their historic buildings and landscaping. Also, a renovation of the new purchase Armory building with nice greenish tint energy efficient windows. Everything looks great. However, what's up with the private dilapidated house in the middle of the campus, nearer the back? There's also a junked car on the front lawn! I guess this guy won't sell, but geez, what an eyesore and disconnect.
 
We were walking down Exchange Street over the weekend and I noticed a sign at 10 Exchange for new luxury condominiums -- the "Residences at 10 Exchange." According to their website they're selling 27 condos on the 3rd and 4th floors. One of them is as small as 259 sq feet -- that's Manhattan level small!

https://www.residencesat10exchange.com/


Also I've noticed that One City Center has been digging up the plaza in front of their building -- has anyone seen any plans for this? I'm curious what the redesign is going to look like.
 
One City Center's entrance and adjoining plaza is getting new tile that will be heated in the winter similar to the new entrance to One and Two Monument Square on the Congress Street side.
 
And yet another new condo development has a shiny new marketing website:

http://www.hayrunnerblock.com/amenities/

Particularly interesting is their inclusion of a video demonstrating the "Parkmatic" car parking system. It's not clear whether or how this system is being incorporated into this building but it would have to be below ground if it is -- they've got the first floor marked for commercial space.
 
And yet another new condo development has a shiny new marketing website:

http://www.hayrunnerblock.com/amenities/

Particularly interesting is their inclusion of a video demonstrating the "Parkmatic" car parking system. It's not clear whether or how this system is being incorporated into this building but it would have to be below ground if it is -- they've got the first floor marked for commercial space.

I was in a huge shopping mall in Tokyo a few years back that had this, underground. It was something out of a James Bond movie -- very, very cool.
 
We see a lot of downtown coverage in here thanks to Corey (and others), but here are some I took in the Mall area yesterday:

Carmax going up across from On The Border. This one bugs me, just because I've long felt this would be a perfect spot for a Sonic (don't shoot me).


Tru Hotel next to the Doubletree towers (roughly the former Cinemas area):


The Sable Lodge "Retirement Resort" on Running Hill Road next to the Dead River headquarters. This thing is massive; there's another wing over on the left that isn't in the shot.


Home2 Hotel at 50 Maine Mall Road (where the tiki hut complex that had Nara Sushi and Maine Gold and Silver was):
 
http://www.pressherald.com/2017/07/...dos-says-upscale-rentals-cooling-in-portland/

Looks like units at 101 York Street will be sold as Condo's rather than apartments.

It also looks like the developers of 75 Chessnut St. have decided to sell the land and planning approval associated with the project, citing "bad personal timing"

A&M Partners has decided not to move forward with the Westerlea View Lofts, a 54-unit apartment building at 75 Chestnut St. that was approved in December by the Planning Board. Instead, the entire project – one-third acre of land, planning approvals and engineering work – is being marketed for sale for $1.2 million, or $22,222 per unit, by CBRE|The Boulos Co. The real estate flier states: “Approvals valuable in Portland market based on high barriers to entry posed by challenging Planning Board approval environment.”
 

Thanks for the head's up. Lots of new renderings in the brochures. The one that stands out to me is the perspective looking east on Fore Street, they really are planning to create a whole new street wall on that side.

Man I've got mixed feelings about this massive proposal. Looking at these photos it looks like all these manufactured, manicured waterfronts that I've seen. Blah.


http://x.lnimg.com/attachments/AD9D9B9C-DC28-47BE-B324-1371EF252BD5.pdf

http://x.lnimg.com/attachments/4EA070AF-3368-461A-B4CC-6288DDB7D0FA.pdf
 
Thanks for the head's up. Lots of new renderings in the brochures. The one that stands out to me is the perspective looking east on Fore Street, they really are planning to create a whole new street wall on that side.

Man I've got mixed feelings about this massive proposal. Looking at these photos it looks like all these manufactured, manicured waterfronts that I've seen. Blah.


http://x.lnimg.com/attachments/AD9D9B9C-DC28-47BE-B324-1371EF252BD5.pdf

http://x.lnimg.com/attachments/4EA070AF-3368-461A-B4CC-6288DDB7D0FA.pdf

Probably an unpopular opinion on here, but I'm really not a fan of the Portland Co. Master Plan as it is right now, especially the eastern half of the project. The narrow spacing between the buildings makes it look like a blob of glass rather than distinct, varied buildings.

Additionally, some of the renovations to the existing buildings don't blend well with the historic brick structures. Some of the architecture looks very bland and Soviet.
766309-Rendering-7-copy-1024x569.jpg
 
Carmax going up across from On The Border. This one bugs me, just because I've long felt this would be a perfect spot for a Sonic (don't shoot me).

Funny, my wife and I have been saying for years that it would be a great spot for a Cheesecake Factory
 
Probably an unpopular opinion on here, but I'm really not a fan of the Portland Co. Master Plan as it is right now, especially the eastern half of the project. The narrow spacing between the buildings makes it look like a blob of glass rather than distinct, varied buildings.

Agreed.

On these brochures it looks like they've branded the whole development as "Portland Foreside." A bit unimaginative in my opinion, and there are several other local businesses that use the Foreside moniker -- Foreside Financial, Foreside Real Estate Management, etc...
 
Funny, my wife and I have been saying for years that it would be a great spot for a Cheesecake Factory

When Sears finally shuts down, that can go there! I'm sure they'd rather be on the mall side anyway. (I actually heard that the TCF folks came up here years ago, looked at the mall parking lot, decided there weren't enough Mercedes and Lexuses and left.)
 
The new Portland Company Complex renderings look great. Beggars can't be choosy, is what I say about the look of it. Amazon just announced a major expansion in Boston, 900 more workers, and ALL ONLINE BUSINESSES such as that, Amazon, Google, Facebook, and any other exciting hi-tech companies will NEVER locate offices -- or live -- in old brick, or new brick buildings. The reason is because of their product lines, as they are hi-tech, and want that associated with the look of the offices. Look at the exciting new Seaport District in Boston, and Apple's new building. The fact is Maine has the oldest median population in the nation and building more blah, old style, old school buildings that look like something from the 1800's won't cut it today. Boston is kicking A-- right now. Portland has a few little hi-tech businesses, but nothing that exciting. WEX wants to build something modern on the waterfront, not another blah brick building. Time to plan for the future, not the past. And it won't ruin Portland's character. Look at all the old cities in Europe with all of their new, modern buildings. If anything, the stark contrast makes each even greater (from the arch theory).
 
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I don't like the right half of the Foreside renderings....but the left half looks great.
 

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