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Patrick
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Indeed, I agree. Nice shot(s) corey. It will be neat to line up a few of these, from when it was Jordans, to the rubble, to the finished product, all from the same angle.
Per Munjoy Hill News (I'm sure the Press Herald will report about it in a week or so):
Plan for Upgrades at International Marine Terminal Approved; Construction Begins This Summer
A preview:
A photo from the article:
Plan for Upgrades at International Marine Terminal Approved; Construction Begins This Summer
A preview:
A photo from the article:
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Patrick
Guest
Thanks Corey. Local news always gets it before the others, you're right.
In other news, I have heard from a personal connection/source that the Eastland is being sold to some big time company/investor. We'll see if this has any effect on the Congress Square Plaza redesign initiative.
In other news, I have heard from a personal connection/source that the Eastland is being sold to some big time company/investor. We'll see if this has any effect on the Congress Square Plaza redesign initiative.
I've seen the Eastland in the news recently. The company that is buying it manages several hotels under different brands I hear. It will be interesting to see if they convert the Eastland into a Marriott or something similar. It's definitely a nice property and I imagine whoever buys it will be interested in the health of the Congress Square Plaza at the hotel's front door.
grittys457
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Wow, no pics of Five Guys Burgers on Fore St yet? They took the stuff off the windows a few days ago. Weird to see something of chain variety in that area. Looks pretty cool in there, guess it's one of their biggest locations in the country.
I'm disappointed Corey.
I'm disappointed Corey.
Hmmm, I've been down there a lot and haven't even noticed it. I remember hearing something about it a while back but didn't know where it was. Are they open now? It's on the ground floor of the Fore Street Parking garage cross from like Joe's NY Pizza, right?
Portlander
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Corey, you are correct on the location, the Exchange Street Gallery was previously in that space. Don't forget to take some shots of the renovated Reny's facade on Congress Street once the scaffolding comes down. We need you!
Construction of the Oak Street Lofts is underway. I resurrected the thread for this project but will also post a photo of the work, so far, here:
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Patrick
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infill housing like this (or infill at all) is great. There was a talk by avesta at the law school recently, but I wasn't able to attend, unfortunately. Although this is a nice building, I noticed that the zoning in this area allows a much taller building, up to almost 20 stories tall. Would have been nice to see something even taller. One thing that interests me is how to create a remarkable skyline with buildings that also interact well at the street level (like a low rise exchange street type). I hear Vancouver does a good job at this, but have never been.
^ I noticed the Oak St. site work on my walk last night, too.
@Patrick - On such a small lot like this one, building higher than 4 stories (the limit for a wood-framed building) is generally not economical unless land values are astronomical. So I'd count us as fortunate that anyone's building here at all.
That said, the economics of a taller building could eventually work on one of the larger lots near here- behind the Empire, or on Shepley Street, or the Free Street parking lot. And smaller projects like this one will increase the neighborhood's land values and make those taller projects more likely, sooner.
@Patrick - On such a small lot like this one, building higher than 4 stories (the limit for a wood-framed building) is generally not economical unless land values are astronomical. So I'd count us as fortunate that anyone's building here at all.
That said, the economics of a taller building could eventually work on one of the larger lots near here- behind the Empire, or on Shepley Street, or the Free Street parking lot. And smaller projects like this one will increase the neighborhood's land values and make those taller projects more likely, sooner.
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Patrick
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I know economics obviously played into the decision, but I made the comment because there are so few properties zoned for high rise in Portland, this being one of them. Further, the smaller the lot, the higher the ROI is the taller you get. The property size doesn't really play into it other than that a large office tower could not go here, because the smaller the lot the less expensive, generally--meaning it would actually be more economical to build anything on a smaller property. The point being that it is always more economical to build larger, and the smaller the lot the more likely this translates to "taller." In contrast, the larger the property, the less necessary it is to build up. Maybe I misunderstood you. Can you clarify what you meant, because I don't follow. I think the decision had more to do with sailing through the permitting process and not really wanting to place people in high rise housing, especially low income residents, because that is an outdated planning ideal. Also, Walker Terrace is 6 stories and is wood framed. That's why you see most older cities with 6 story buildings prior to the elevator and steel frames or reinforced concrete. 6 stories is also about as tall as people are comfortable walking up.
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Really, they're opening a Five Guys in Portland? I'm actually kind of bummed to hear that. When I moved to DC about 10 years ago Five Guys was mainly a local chain with a couple dozen shops in the greater DC area, but it seems they're everywhere I go now.
One thing I've always loved about Portland is the limited number of chain stores, especially on the peninsula. A Five Guys is better than an empty storefront, but the main drawback (to me) of chains is that they take away from the uniqueness of place, and contribute to the ever-growing homogeneity of our landscapes. Chains are part of why every suburb looks like every other suburb in this country, they're interchangeable, so why does it matter where you are in particular?
On the matter of the food, I've eaten Five Guys plenty, and they do the high-end fast food thing pretty well, but at the end of the day it's just a greasy burger and fries joint. It's certainly not better than any burger I ever had at Rosie's (or even Ruski's) when I lived in Portland. What I'd rather see in Portland is a place like Four Burgers in Cambridge, it's a step above a Five Guys but still casual and with a focus on grass-fed and natural ingredients. I'm always sort of amazed when chain restaurants become something of a phenomenon, I guess it's sort of the "a crowd attracts a crowd" kind of thing, but I'm always more interested in trying something local and unique.
grittys457
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I normally don't go to chains (except Starbucks) but I welcome them to our area. Yes all our local places are great but you need a few here and there mixed in. Sadly it does give a sense like you're worth having them set up shop in your city. Portsmouth having a Gap downtown doesn't make them any less aunthentic and small town feel. We could use a few more chains to bring in people who just don't come downtown and would only go to the mall area. Don't even get me started on the whole Hooters thing that happened here a few years back. City council acted like fools.
Portlander
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Well said grittys, I could not agree with you more. Downtown Portland is large enough to balance both local and chain retailers. This "keep Portland local" campaign is getting old and I welcome Five Guys into the Old Port. I miss the days when there was a Mc Donald's, Burger King and a Wendy's on Congress Street. I deal with visitors and tourists downtown every day and one of the biggest complaints I receive is that there is no place to get a quick burger and fries without over spending and being forced to sit down in a traditional restaurant setting.
It's all about choices and if an individual is against national chains then do not support them, but don't penalize the rest of us who may prefer the other option on occasion. Congratulations to Reny's, they will be a huge success on Congress Street and will fill a huge void that was left when Levinsky's (not L.L. Bean) closed.
It's all about choices and if an individual is against national chains then do not support them, but don't penalize the rest of us who may prefer the other option on occasion. Congratulations to Reny's, they will be a huge success on Congress Street and will fill a huge void that was left when Levinsky's (not L.L. Bean) closed.
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Patrick
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I agree about the not wanting to become just anywhere, USA comment. But I would also love to see a Gap downtown somewhere. If you look at Kittery (all chains) and Freeport (all chains), you notice that one is anywhere, USA (Kittery) while the other is unique (Freeport), so I really think it is the form of the building stock, more than the use in that building, that matters. This supports the notion of Form Based Zoning Codes being able to contribute to the uniqueness of a place. Look at Trader Joes, they have all Portland themes in their store here. I think the true thing to avoid is the monotonous chain that is going to ruin things, not all chains in general.
One reason Five Guys may have been the only tenant to open up in that space is that the previous owner (local) was priced out by the landlord, at $5,000 per month the space is unaffordable to all but those who do business on a national scale, it would seem. I wouldn't want to set up a chain mecca in, say, Bayside, and have everyone come and go without seeing the Old Port (because remember the Old Port is our very successful answer to the Maine Mall's effect on Downtown), but at the same time mixing them throughout doesn't seem too bad of an idea. People are starting to move back toward cities, meaning their tastes in building stock are changing, but not their tastes in land uses (not int he stores themselves, that is), so it may be time to bring some chains back to the City, bit by bit, as the people move back.
Portlander -- Levinsky's? Please explain. I only remember them on the corner of India...were they on Congress at one point in the old LL Bean outlet before Bean's?
(PS - this burger joint, if open late, will be a welcome change to the only food available after the bars let out at 1am (pizza)).
One reason Five Guys may have been the only tenant to open up in that space is that the previous owner (local) was priced out by the landlord, at $5,000 per month the space is unaffordable to all but those who do business on a national scale, it would seem. I wouldn't want to set up a chain mecca in, say, Bayside, and have everyone come and go without seeing the Old Port (because remember the Old Port is our very successful answer to the Maine Mall's effect on Downtown), but at the same time mixing them throughout doesn't seem too bad of an idea. People are starting to move back toward cities, meaning their tastes in building stock are changing, but not their tastes in land uses (not int he stores themselves, that is), so it may be time to bring some chains back to the City, bit by bit, as the people move back.
Portlander -- Levinsky's? Please explain. I only remember them on the corner of India...were they on Congress at one point in the old LL Bean outlet before Bean's?
(PS - this burger joint, if open late, will be a welcome change to the only food available after the bars let out at 1am (pizza)).