Portland, ME - New Construction Continued

What a great idea ^. Hopefully government/people of Portland will benefit from this (The garage is city owned - right?).
 
That parking garage addition looks pretty slick. For fun, it reminds me a bit of a garage in Chattanooga (was down there for work a few months ago) that has a rock climbing gym on the side of it and even includes a mass transit stop on the first floor.

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Couple recent Portland photos:

AC Hotel by Marriott:
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The Danforth Street side of 25 High Street:
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Cosakita18 said:
Here's an interesting tidbit. Scarbrough is putting in an RFP in hopes of attracting the new Amazon HQ to the former site of Scarborough downs. They admit that it's a long shot.

http://www.pressherald.com/2017/10/18/officials-propose-scarborough-downs-site-for-new-amazon-hq/
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So far as I know, the Downs is still operating, is it not? Per their site they're even still racing (as opposed to just simulcast) into December. That "former" thing struck me as the town trying to force the issue.
 
Scarborough may have no shot at this.....but they are on the right track (no pun intended) in trying to woo Amazon. I hope that the Scarborough Downs site is eventually developed in a well thought out way that not only benefits the town, but also the Greater Portlnd area and the entire State of Maine.
 
Will never happen. Not because of location, etc., but that Maine will never give the tax incentives needed. A while back, the state refused to give tax breaks on a big film that was set in Maine (I think Stephen King one), so the film company said F-U and shot it somewhere else.
 
Walking past the Schwartz Building (corner of High and Congress Streets, next to WCSH) the last couple days and all of the sudden there's a lot of activity going on in there. A building permit posted on the Congress Street side of the building says floors 2-4 are approved for 12 residential units and the ground floor is to be commercial.
 
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Newest renderings of the Rufus Deering Co. redevelopment are up on the planning board website. Some fairly significant design changes

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and the back side, looking down York St.

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The NewHeight Group, developers of 118 on Munjoy and the new Luminato Condos, are planning their next development: http://bit.ly/2gxkBug

Apparently it will be on the corner lot at Hampshire and Federal Streets. The Portland Co-op recently sent out an email saying their old storage building was going to be demolished to make way for condos.

Seeing these buildings go up right next to Franklin Street makes me wonder what will happen when/if the street is narrowed.
 
Thanks for sharing the new renderings of the Rufus Deering lot, Cosakita18. I think these look pretty sharp and I hope all the phases are eventually built. I live pretty close to here in the West End and would enjoy this section of Commercial or York Street if it were a bit more urbanized and less like a freeway in and out of town.

Getting ready to break ground on the WEX building:

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Almost completed Avesta building on Carleton Street, which I think looks quite nice. If the current ballot referendum #2 in Portland passes then it sounds like this type of infill will be impossible to build, ironically making it harder for people to afford housing here:

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Max said:
Seeing these buildings go up right next to Franklin Street makes me wonder what will happen when/if the street is narrowed.
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The Franklin St. Redesign has been on hold for over 2 years now. I also didn't see any money allocated for the project in PACTS / Maine DOT's 3 year capitol plan, so we may have a while to wait still.


On another note, it's good to see such a concentrated effort to oppose Question 2. So many civic leaders and business owners have come out to oppose it, and the No on 2 Facebook page has gained hundreds of new followers in the past week.
 
I'm liking the updates to the Rufus Deering development. Much better than originally proposed.

I'm loving the Avesta building on Carleton Street. That is going to look stellar once that copper roof oxidizes.
 
The windows are all papered over on the Lafayette Building at the corner of Congress and Park Streets, and it looks like construction is underway on a plan to add a restaurant and/or retail space on the first floor, with a new entrance on the Park Street side of the building.

The Historic Preservation Board reviewed the plans in July 2016:
http://me-portland.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/3727?fileID=15715
 
Public notice has gone out for a proposed 6-story hotel on the current parking lot next to the Hampton Inn: http://www.portlandmaine.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2961

I'm surprised to see another hotel proposal. With the AC Hotel under construction, the proposed hotel component of the Rufus Deering site, and the proposal for a West Elm-branded hotel as part of the Portland Foreside development, it would seem we'd have to be reaching a saturation point on hotels.
 
Will someone please build one of these hotels with a rooftop deck, bar, pool? The West Street Hotel in Bar Harbor has one, and the very cool Envoy in Boston has put clear warming igloos on its. There is currently no social public space in Portland in which you can stand about 5 to 7 stories up, near the waterfront to look out at the harbor. It's all private. Sure, the Hyatt does have decks--if you buy a room at $500 a night and have no more than 4 guests on it. This would be very popular if this new hotel had it, smack dab in the middle of the foodie activity. Bayside Bowl has the best deck in Portland, except you can't see the harbor--the heart and soul theme of Portland.
 
Max said:
Public notice has gone out for a proposed 6-story hotel on the current parking lot next to the Hampton Inn: http://www.portlandmaine.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2961

I'm surprised to see another hotel proposal. With the AC Hotel under construction, the proposed hotel component of the Rufus Deering site, and the proposal for a West Elm-branded hotel as part of the Portland Foreside development, it would seem we'd have to be reaching a saturation point on hotels.
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I stayed in Portland in late April and hotel rates at the Holiday Inn were $345. When I asked the concierge, he said that was standard for the spring in Portland. My guess is there is substantial demand.
 
Says in the link "The facility includes retail space, a restaurant, kitchen and common space on one level, a parking garage with 102 spaces, and a roof-top bar"

They've already started construction on the building directly next
To duckfat. Think it's gonna be new office for Cport credit union. Sure
the condos being built next to it will enjoy that blocking the entire ocean side
view
 
This was the 2012 proposal that got planning approvals for the same lot where the 6-story hotel is now being proposed:

View from Fore Street at India
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View from Middle Street at India:
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IIRC it was a mix of offices, retail and condos wrapped around 2 levels of parking.
 
^ It's a shame that was never built as approved. That was easily one of my favorite designs from all of the recent in-fill development in town.
 
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