Portland, ME - New Construction Continued

Max said:
Looks like they're planning a big project on the site:

http://www.portlandmaine.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=3534
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I heard Jim Brady, visionary developer of the Press Hotel, is no longer involved in this, so, scrap all those cool arch plans that have been released. Now, it's probably something ordinary, taller, with a parking garage. I doubt the arch will be stunning, but more functional, boxy. It would be nice to see a cool tech company here as an anchor. But with a potential nasty oil pipeline project bringing in millions of gallons of toxic crude for pickup from tankers across the harbor to soil views, doubt anything pricey, epic will materialize. Too risky, until 2 or 3 years down the line when the final verdict (appeals) comes in on the pipeline horror. Two 70 foot high towers with flames at the top to vent, burn off the toxic fumes from the arriving oil will have to be built (not alarm fiction, but fact). And the tourists at Portland Head Light will be able to turn around and snap pictures of that too.
 
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TC_zoid said:
I heard Jim Brady, visionary developer of the Press Hotel, is no longer involved in this, so, scrap all those cool arch plans that have been released. Now, it's probably something ordinary, taller, with a parking garage. I doubt the arch will be stunning, but more functional, boxy. It would be nice to see a cool tech company here as an anchor. But with a potential nasty oil pipeline project bringing in millions of gallons of toxic crude for pickup from tankers across the harbor to soil views, doubt anything pricey, epic will materialize. Too risky, until 2 or 3 years down the line when the final verdict (appeals) comes in on the pipeline horror. Two 70 foot high towers with flames at the top to vent, burn off the toxic fumes from the arriving oil will have to be built (not alarm fiction, but fact). And the tourists at Portland Head Light will be able to turn around and snap pictures of that too.
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Are you thinking of the Portland Company? Because this isn't that site. This is the current Hamilton Marine building and parking lot that adjoins the Portland Company.
 
Ohhhh. Still stands with the Portland Company site though. That will change from original plans, substantially, if it gets built at all.
 
Updates version of the Thames Street skyline:

ifrwC5T.jpg
 
Max said:
A few new renderings and perspectives in the latest materials going before the planning board next week for the old Rufus Deering site. They are seeking final approval of Phase 1 plans:

http://portlandmaine.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/6378?fileID=33987

The most interesting perspective to me is the new Commercial Street view looking west:

383%20commercial.jpg
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I'm still confused as to whether Phase 1 includes both the hotel and condos being built simultaneously or not. Based on the fact that some of the condos are already on the market with a moving date of spring 2020... One would think that the condos would be included in Phase 1 but they never explicitly say that in their application.
 
TC_zoid said:
Ohhhh. Still stands with the Portland Company site though. That will change from original plans, substantially, if it gets built at all.
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Walking past the site today and I have yet to see any substantial work going on there. Supposedly the marina is under construction (according to Portland Foreside social media) but there is no indication of anything going on there. Maybe some drama behind the scenes?
 
Cosakita18 said:
Walking past the site today and I have yet to see any substantial work going on there. Supposedly the marina is under construction (according to Portland Foreside social media) but there is no indication of anything going on there. Maybe some drama behind the scenes?
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Substantially.
 
TC_zoid said:
Substantially.
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Ha! It would almost be inconceivable for a proposal of that magnitude and cost not to be altered or derailed at some point by one thing or another.

By the way I had to laugh when I saw the front page of today's real estate section in the Maine Sunday Telegram. The developers of the old Rufus Deering site have already rebranded "43 North" condos as "Hobson's Landing." Talk about a quick rebranding!

http://www.hobsonslanding.com/

Anyone have any idea who Hobson is? Is there a historical context I'm not familiar with?
 
Hobson's Pier is across the street and dates back to 1864, not sure how the family acquired their wealth/stature though.
 
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TC_zoid said:
Substantially.
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That's interesting. I remember that the WestElm hotel was slated to open in "Spring of 2020" so if they wanted to meet that goal it would probably have to start going through the planning process relatively soon. I don't know whether the hotel would be a standalone structure or integrated into one of the existing buildings, but either way it's odd that there has virtually no work on the site. Either the marina or the complex itself.
 
I think the Portland Company site will progress at a rate similar to Thompson's Point, baby steps with a lot of smoke and mirrors initially. Also don't think the Portland Pipeline resolution will have much of an impact on the project. The South Portland tank farms are much closer visually and have been an eyesore since WWII and have not slowed down the revitalization of the Old Port or any of the new construction on the eastern waterfront.
 
Portlander said:
I think the Portland Company site will progress at a rate similar to Thompson's Point, baby steps with a lot of smoke and mirrors initially. Also don't think the Portland Pipeline resolution will have much of an impact on the project. The South Portland tank farms are much closer visually and have been an eyesore since WWII and have not slowed down the revitalization of the Old Port or any of the new construction on the eastern waterfront.
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A massive, busy oil cargo and pipeline terminus with 70 foot high "venting" towers will not be an appealing sight to today's -- and especially tomorrow's -- consumers. That's the reason for the Clear Skies Ordinance in SoPo. Yes, back even in the 90's people didn't care about electric cars or solar energy. We are becoming more and more conscious of the environment as every day marches on and this effects buying habits.
 
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I don't really think that South Portland's oil tanks are the issue – after all, they're still selling million-dollar condos down the street in the new 20 Thames building (with views of the Ocean Gateway parking lot and the Portland Water District sewage pumping station).

I mentioned it before w/r/t the 180 Washington proposal – which has been a mere proposal with no planning applications for, what, 3 years now? – I think the bigger problem is that Portland's market for these high-end condos is saturated. There are lots of these projects with all their planning approvals (Hay Runner Block, 161 York, 75 Chestnut, 155 Sheridan and now the Rufus Deering project, too) that haven't broken ground yet, and construction costs keep rising. Who's going to buy all these units?
 
Also, the City Council's economic development committee held an executive session a couple months ago to discuss an ambiguous "waterfront TIF" financing arrangement. Reading between the lines, it looked to me like the Portland Company developers could have been the ones looking for extra money from the city.
 
cneal said:
I don't really think that South Portland's oil tanks are the issue – after all, they're still selling million-dollar condos down the street in the new 20 Thames building (with views of the Ocean Gateway parking lot and the Portland Water District sewage pumping station).

I mentioned it before w/r/t the 180 Washington proposal – which has been a mere proposal with no planning applications for, what, 3 years now? – I think the bigger problem is that Portland's market for these high-end condos is saturated. There are lots of these projects with all their planning approvals (Hay Runner Block, 161 York, 75 Chestnut, 155 Sheridan and now the Rufus Deering project, too) that haven't broken ground yet, and construction costs keep rising. Who's going to buy all these units?
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I really find it hard to believe that the developers of Portland Foreside planned this project around the outcome of the Portland Pipeline Co. lawsuit which at the time was only just beginning. There is already substantial oil terminal related infrastructure across the river, and it's a minor blotch on the view looking out over the harbor from the Portland Co, site. This lawsuit can't be the primary cause of the delay in development.
 
Portlander said:
Hobson's Pier is across the street and dates back to 1864, not sure how the family acquired their wealth/stature though.
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I like the name much better than "43 North," though; it would be easy enough to confuse that with someone's garage that sits between 39 and 45 North St. Really, if I were going to pay that kind of money for a condo, rule 1 would be "don't give it a name that I have to explain where it isn't."
 
Cosakita18 said:
I really find it hard to believe that the developers of Portland Foreside planned this project around the outcome of the Portland Pipeline Co. lawsuit which at the time was only just beginning. There is already substantial oil terminal related infrastructure across the river, and it's a minor blotch on the view looking out over the harbor from the Portland Co, site. This lawsuit can't be the primary cause of the delay in development.
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Maine, and especially Portland, is becoming a preeminent place to spend a vacation in the U.S. I constantly read reviews, comments from people visiting Portland and nearly all remark how beautiful it is. How is an oil cargo facility re-boot, with even more tankers, two nasty venting towers, and millions of gallons of toxic crude arriving every day -- under pressure at the end, SoPo -- going to not be considered a blight, disincentive, for tourism and new residents? If that 70 year old pipeline has a breach -- inevitable -- it will ruin Casco Bay for years (Google the Kalamazoo River spill, a similar scenario). That's why the Clear Skies Ordinance was created, the more environmentally conscious residents did the due diligence on this. Read the science on an end terminus pipeline with toxic crude, it's not pretty. The Bug Light area and park should be developed further, expanded into perhaps an outdoor concert venue and progressively designed park. It's the second beautiful landmark that visiting boat traffic sees. And it would be a nice connect to the Portland Head Light, of which, tourism is increasing and represented now from all over the world. I travel all over the U.S. for work and when I tell people I'm from Maine, nearly everyone remarks how beautiful it is, or that they want to visit because they heard that, that it's beautiful. You can't buy publicity like that. I would not invest heavily on the waterfront near this facility until discovering its fate. Smart, new resident investors unearth all the negatives. I'm not talking about businesses such as WEX as they aren't concerned with views, tourism, etc., only making money as a company. Heck, they would probably prefer that the property value of their building goes down in the coming years for a reduction on property taxes.
 
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Has anyone else noticed that you can see the new floors being constructed at Maine Med from several vantage points around town? I could even see them peaking above the tree line when looking up the hill from Deering Oaks this weekend.
 
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