Portland, ME - New Construction Continued

[Seanflynn78]

Ahh...yes you are right about referring to the "down east" part of Maine. My Connecticut roots show their true colors when I am talking about Maine.
Patrick, I was in St.Louis a few years ago and I swear Portland has more pedestrain traffic. Downtown St.Louis reminds me of Hartford but with more interesting museums and touristy attractions (Bush stadium,Budweiser plant and the Arch). Also I think I was begged for money 2 or 3 times, which holds true to Hartford as well.
I am sure the Old Port area was busy the night of the black keys concert. I have to make a visit to Portland this summer and get myself another view from the Lighthouse observation tower on Munjoy hill. I had this great older lady as a guide and she cracked my wife and I up. Her knowledge of Portland's history was incredible. She had a classic name too that escapes me right now. Sorry for the randomness.

 

[Patrick]

Ahh...yes you are right about referring to the "down east" part of Maine. My Connecticut roots show their true colors when I am talking about Maine.
Patrick, I was in St.Louis a few years ago and I swear Portland has more pedestrain traffic. Downtown St.Louis reminds me of Hartford but with more interesting museums and touristy attractions (Bush stadium,Budweiser plant and the Arch). Also I think I was begged for money 2 or 3 times, which holds true to Hartford as well.
I am sure the Old Port area was busy the night of the black keys concert. I have to make a visit to Portland this summer and get myself another view from the Lighthouse observation tower on Munjoy hill. I had this great older lady as a guide and she cracked my wife and I up. Her knowledge of Portland's history was incredible. She had a classic name too that escapes me right now. Sorry for the randomness.

St. Louis is one of the worst examples of white flight around (as is Hartford). Both cities are meant for populations, and serve populations, far bigger than is reflected statistically. But everyone drives because they live outside the city. This highlights the difference between city as urban center and city as job center. Cities which are job centers are nothing more than suburban office parks with a different spatial layout and arrangement. And then there's the crime, which further perpetuates things in the same direction, leading to more crime, and on and on.

The Old Port is generally busy, but Congress Street--for whatever reason--has been super busy, maybe even busier than the Old Port, all winter long. The East End is starting to get some of this too, so things are really starting to gain momentum here, with niche neighborhoods forming around Pat's Meat Market and Rosemont Bakery in Montrose and Munjoy Hill. The city overall is great, in my opinion (and I've seen it in a not so great state, as a kid). Bayside is gaining population rapidly, too, so the urban vibrancy should only continue.

Glad you liked the observatory, check out my sketch of it a few pages back if interested.

 

[Patrick]

One additional thing I just came across, which I think is very interesting, is that Portland is ranked the 4th most walkable city in America in the mid sized category (50,000 all the way to 500,000). I can't believe most places have schools kids don't or can't walk to. Growing up, I lived 3 blocks from my elementary school, about 5 blocks from my middle school, and 1 block from my high school. Steven's Ave has a college, medical school, pharmacy school (all one and the same university) as well as a private and public high school, an elementary school and a middle school. I lived around the corner from it. So the walkability aspect of Portland extends off of the peninsula, too, which is even more walkable. I think walkability may be an excellent indicator of how cool a place is (most of the cities listed are great for other reasons than walkability, but they all have that in common, suggesting something neat happens when a certain spatial arrangement is pursued).

 

[Corey]

Still getting the hang of my new wide angle lens, bear with me.

Elm Terrace

Regency Addition

Oak Street Lofts

Rosemont on Commercial Street

 

[grittys457]

Well it's official that the eastland is becoming a westin. I think that's a big deal to have it under the starwood umbrella

http://www.newcastlehotels.com/Properties.cfm

 

[Patrick]

Nice! Great find.

 

[John_French]

@ Corey, I am interested in what kind of wide angle lens you used.

 

[Lrfox]

Well it's official that the eastland is becoming a westin. I think that's a big deal to have it under the starwood umbrella

http://www.newcastlehotels.com/Properties.cfm

This will make it the only Starwood Hotel in Maine outside of the Four Points by the Bangor Airport.

Westin does a good job with taking over and renovating old hotels. Te interior of the Eastland could definitely use some work (it's a bit dated). The Westin St. Francis is a good example of what they can do with a landmark hotel. Westin has more appeal than the Sheraton name which is in the same tier of hotel.

Question: What will this mean for the residences at the Eastland? Are they even still there? I had some friends who rented a 1 bedroom there about 2 years ago.

 

[Patrick]

This will make it the only Starwood Hotel in Maine outside of the Four Points by the Bangor Airport.

Westin does a good job with taking over and renovating old hotels. Te interior of the Eastland could definitely use some work (it's a bit dated). The Westin St. Francis is a good example of what they can do with a landmark hotel. Westin has more appeal than the Sheraton name which is in the same tier of hotel.

Question: What will this mean for the residences at the Eastland? Are they even still there? I had some friends who rented a 1 bedroom there about 2 years ago.

There was some talk a while back about nixing the apartments, which are also surrounded by some office space in that building,. but I'm not sure if it was in connection with the Westin plans. The plans to expand the top of the east will be interesting, as will those to construct a 2-3 story addition on Congress Square Plaza to be used as a ballroom dance area. The Eastland is quite nice, if antiquated, on the inside. I've been in nicer, but man have I been in worse, too. One of the nicer hotels I've stayed in was the Back Bay Boston Westin--20th floor, great views, sweet bed dressing/pillows. Then again, it was just a standard hotel. The nicest I've ever stayed in was L'hotel De La Montagne in Montreal, when I was 18. I'm not sure where it falls on the list of rankings for hotel class, but man was that place cool and in a cool neighborhood! still just a standard hotel I believe, but just a lot of cool amenities. Dance club in house, rooftop swimming and dining, red light in modern bathroom with multi showerheads. Cool place. I wish I could afford cooler!

 

[Lrfox]

I definitely agree with you on the Eastland's interior. It's great building. My only issue was that the rooms needed some touch up work which will be part of converting to the Westin brand. I actually work for Starwood so I've had the opportunity to stay in MANY Westin hotels. While it is a chain and there are many standard features in all Westin hotels, I feel the design team does a great job with adapting newly acquired properties to the Westin standard while maintaining as much of the original character as possible (assuming the property has character to begin with). The Eastland has character by the boatload (which is why I pointed out the Westin St. Francis in SF as a comparison-- great hotel and a great makeover). Moreover, it stands out in Portland. It's one of 2 or 3 of the most notable buildings from 295 (along with Time & Temp and Maine Med) in my opinion and I hope they keep the Eastland sign.

I'll see if I can find out what the plans are for the Eastland in terms of the Top of the East and the Congress Street plaza. That's not really my area, but I can ask around. In all, I think it's an excellent move for the hotel. I know I'm biased, but even though Westin is in the same tier as Hyatt or Marriott, Westin is the better brand (I prefer it to Sheraton which is another of our brands).

Sort of a tangent but it reaffirms my feelings for the Westin brand... The Westin name is fairly popular so we've been converting a lot of our properties that aren't under one of the primary brand names (i.e Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridian, W, etc) to Westin to increase demand. The New York Helmsley is a notable hotel undergoing the change in branding. We're also dropping some Sheratons as well (the Sheraton by South Shore Plaza in Braintree is no longer a Sheraton.

 

[Max]

Oak Street Lofts

Is this the finished facade? How does it look in person? From the photos I don't like it. The orange/gray blocks have a sort of high school cafeteria look to them.

 

[Patrick]

Is this the finished facade? How does it look in person? From the photos I don't like it. The orange/gray blocks have a sort of high school cafeteria look to them.

That's it, finished. I never really noticed the cafeteria look that you mentioned, but I know exactly what you mean. In person, it's not offensive. I think the reason is that it is kind of a "background" building and is far superior to the empty space that was there before. You never really see this building front on unless you stand across the street and stare at it. It's on a side street and when driving down it (very narrow) you're never far away enough to get a good glimpse unless you want to. I also think that the building looks easily upgradable in the future should the community ever complain about looks (slide the panels off, put new on).

 

[Patrick]

I definitely agree with you on the Eastland's interior. It's great building. My only issue was that the rooms needed some touch up work which will be part of converting to the Westin brand. I actually work for Starwood so I've had the opportunity to stay in MANY Westin hotels. While it is a chain and there are many standard features in all Westin hotels, I feel the design team does a great job with adapting newly acquired properties to the Westin standard while maintaining as much of the original character as possible (assuming the property has character to begin with). The Eastland has character by the boatload (which is why I pointed out the Westin St. Francis in SF as a comparison-- great hotel and a great makeover). Moreover, it stands out in Portland. It's one of 2 or 3 of the most notable buildings from 295 (along with Time & Temp and Maine Med) in my opinion and I hope they keep the Eastland sign.

I'll see if I can find out what the plans are for the Eastland in terms of the Top of the East and the Congress Street plaza. That's not really my area, but I can ask around. In all, I think it's an excellent move for the hotel. I know I'm biased, but even though Westin is in the same tier as Hyatt or Marriott, Westin is the better brand (I prefer it to Sheraton which is another of our brands).

Sort of a tangent but it reaffirms my feelings for the Westin brand... The Westin name is fairly popular so we've been converting a lot of our properties that aren't under one of the primary brand names (i.e Sheraton, Westin, Le Meridian, W, etc) to Westin to increase demand. The New York Helmsley is a notable hotel undergoing the change in branding. We're also dropping some Sheratons as well (the Sheraton by South Shore Plaza in Braintree is no longer a Sheraton.

Yeah, I suppose you're right an upgrade could always help. I just like it already, even if it could be better. I think part of its charm is that it is an old, historic feeling place, like you said (character by the boatload) whereas some of the newer hotels in Portland, if better in an industry rating sense, don't have the same feel.

Are you familiar with the Westin Plans from 2005? A ten story hotel with $5 million condo units (top end of the range, and I believe the priciest unit in the city) was planned for the Jordan Meat's site where the Hampton was recently built. I think Westin is better than all of the brands you mentioned, so I'm surprised when I hear it's in the same class as those other hotels. I know it's a chain, but I always associate it with the upper end of things (maybe I'm just not worldly enough). We're always happy with Westin. I stayed in the Lennox (Boston), but even though this is sort of a more local boutique hotel I'd much rather stay in the Westin when down that way.

 

[Seanflynn78]

I stayed at the Westin in Waltham, MA last year for a wedding which was held there. The atmosphere in the conference/bar area was nice, but I wasnt over all impressed with the facitility as far as comfort. The walls were paper thin! We had some loud older gentleman next door who kept on insisting seeing his daughter down the hall @ 3am Sunday morning. My wife and I could hear every word being said, and it felt they were sleeping right next to us. On the other side of us was a couple being intimate if ya know what I mean for about an hour. If I am paying top dollar for a hotel room, atleast use solid sheet rock/with some sort of sound proofing. The beds were fine and the showers were clean too. The only reason we stayed at the Westin was that the wedding was held there. We stayed on the 8th floor which needless to say had some awesome views of the area. For the rate I would not stay at another Westin, completely overpriced.
I stayed at the Embassy Sweets in South Portland one year for new years weekend and that is probably my favorite hotel chain. Didnt hear anyone nearby in our room...and it had a great breakfast included. I am curious what the next hotel chain to invade Portland will be? I know all the Food network/Travel Channel exposure of Southern Maine has really helped make the Portland area more "hip" with American Travelers.

 

[Lrfox]

Yeah, I suppose you're right an upgrade could always help. I just like it already, even if it could be better. I think part of its charm is that it is an old, historic feeling place, like you said (character by the boatload) whereas some of the newer hotels in Portland, if better in an industry rating sense, don't have the same feel.

Are you familiar with the Westin Plans from 2005? A ten story hotel with $5 million condo units (top end of the range, and I believe the priciest unit in the city) was planned for the Jordan Meat's site where the Hampton was recently built. I think Westin is better than all of the brands you mentioned, so I'm surprised when I hear it's in the same class as those other hotels. I know it's a chain, but I always associate it with the upper end of things (maybe I'm just not worldly enough). We're always happy with Westin. I stayed in the Lennox (Boston), but even though this is sort of a more local boutique hotel I'd much rather stay in the Westin when down that way.

Patrick, I think we have the same taste in hotels. Some of the newer hotels just feel too sterile. There's no way the Eastland will ever feel sterile. That's a good thing.

I haven't actually seen the original plans for the Westin in Portland, but I've heard about it. In the middle of the decade, Starwood had some plans to be fairly bold by putting big brands in markets that were smaller than they'd typically be found in. The Westin in Portland was one, the W in Providence was another big one (Providence almost got a W before Boston). The recession killed a lot of those projects, but the ones that made the most sense are starting to come back to life. A Westin in Portland always made sense. A big factor in locating a Westin there is actually the Regency. Regency is one of Westin's biggest competitors and they've had a monopoly as the only 4-star hotel on the peninsula. Westin and Regency compete in downtown Providence as the only 4-star hotels in the city. Where one goes, the other usually follows.

Just to be clear, when I say Westin's in the same class as those other brands, I mean their 4-star equivalent brands (i.e. Hyatt Regency, Marriott Marquis).

The Lenox is nice, I do like it. I love the Westin Copley though. Great views from there. I've stayed in that hotel twice (both actually before I started working for Starwood and both were $100 priceline bids).

I stayed at the Westin in Waltham, MA last year for a wedding which was held there. The atmosphere in the conference/bar area was nice, but I wasnt over all impressed with the facitility as far as comfort. The walls were paper thin! We had some loud older gentleman next door who kept on insisting seeing his daughter down the hall @ 3am Sunday morning. My wife and I could hear every word being said, and it felt they were sleeping right next to us. On the other side of us was a couple being intimate if ya know what I mean for about an hour. If I am paying top dollar for a hotel room, atleast use solid sheet rock/with some sort of sound proofing. The beds were fine and the showers were clean too. The only reason we stayed at the Westin was that the wedding was held there. We stayed on the 8th floor which needless to say had some awesome views of the area. For the rate I would not stay at another Westin, completely overpriced.
I stayed at the Embassy Sweets in South Portland one year for new years weekend and that is probably my favorite hotel chain. Didnt hear anyone nearby in our room...and it had a great breakfast included. I am curious what the next hotel chain to invade Portland will be? I know all the Food network/Travel Channel exposure of Southern Maine has really helped make the Portland area more "hip" with American Travelers.

That's the first I've heard of the noise complaints at the Westin Waltham. I'm not shocked though. The hotel is largely marketed towards business travelers working along 128 so they probably didn't insulate the walls as well as they would have in downtown hotel (where street noise and leisure travelers tend to be noisier). I'm sorry it was a bad experience though. I always love the way that building looks even if it is in a suburban office park location.

Embassy Suites is a great chain. I've never had a bad experience there either.

 

[Patrick]

Check out this website: http://www.gr8portlandme.com/

Forbes: Portland metro area top job hub
http://www.mainebiz.biz/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120322/NEWS0101/120329980/-1/NEWS

 

[Patrick]

edit -- I see Corey well represented on that site already!

 

[Patrick]

My newest article in Portland Magazine: http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/2012/03/sign-language/

Pay close attention, Portlander! Thanks to all those who provided me the info on this.

Edit -- Corey, I hope that photo of the coca-cola billboard is yours, as I suggested the idea to the mag based on your blog photos. I didn't notice a credit?


EDIT - - - -

I just realized my other article, on New Urbanism, is also online. Check it out: http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/2012/03/sim-city/

AND

here's one I was interviewed for, on One City Center. Too bad the skyscraper one isn't available, as the pics are pretty cool for that

http://www.portlandmonthly.com/portmag/2011/03/lost-horizon/

 

[Patrick]

Portland included amongst top 35 cities for a 'wild weekend' trip by Travel and Leisure - America's Favorite Cities.
http://www.travelandleisure.com/americas-favorite-cities/2010/category/type-of-trip/wild-weekend

 

[Corey]

A short article in the Press Herald today about the Children's Museum of Maine, some quotes:

Museum officials said they have outgrown their current Free Street location, particularly after a merger more than two years ago with the Children's Theater of Maine.

The request said the museum's preference is to stay on the peninsula. If a vacant lot is available, it needs to accommodate a building of 22,000 to 30,000 square feet. An existing building would need at least 13,000 square feet on the ground floor, with 20-foot ceilings.

In both cases, plenty of parking is required.

Olson said the museum would like to settle on a site by mid-summer. It would then need to come up with a cost figure for either a new building or renovations, conduct a study to determine whether it could raise the money, and then start a campaign for donations. She said that process and construction could take two to three years.

Anyone have some good ideas for where they can go? I very much hope they stay on the peninsula. I see the need for parking but hopefully that doesn't mean they insist on creating or extending a sea of surface level parking lots or new garages. There is already parking available in the business district that would handle most of their patrons. Who owns the parking lots next to the museum on Free Street, the ones that surround the Dogfish Bar & Grill? It seems like likely they would move into an existing building that build a new one, but that lot next to the current Children's Museum seems like a win-win to me.