Portland, ME - New Construction Continued

[John_French]

If that design goes forward, and is built where the old church was, it will appear as though it fell from the sky as an over-sized block, and landed among buildings of a completely different design. I can not say I like it at all.

 

[Corey]

I agree with the concerns about this preliminary design. As FrankLloydMike mentioned, it would look much better with a refined facade. And I also echo Patrick's concerns about how the building, as is, would completely detract from the street. I would be very surprised if the current design passes the tests of the historic preservation board and the planning board.

There's a story and accompanying video today on the WCSH6 site about Portland's "technology park" that is being built off of Rand Road, bordering Westbrook. I remember reading about this a while back but didn't know it was already being constructed. I despise the typical suburban layout of the office park, but I guess it will be beneficial if companies actually move there and prosper. The renderings are kind of funny in that they include an abundance of pedestrians and bikes.

 

[mainejeff]

In regard to the St. Lawrence Church site:

Well I had written some stuff with each of these pics.........but had to take a phone call and timed out..........but here they are:

The 3rd one is to demonstrate the use of varying bricks patterns that could be incorporated.

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

I despise the typical suburban layout of the office park, but I guess it will be beneficial if companies actually move there and prosper.

Agreed. Hopefully it helps to foster and grow a bio-tech company into a large corporation that eventually builds a landmark building downtown. And it definitely won't hurt the overall economy of the metro area and state to have more bio-tech firms.

 

[Patrick]

Economic development and planning are occasionally totally separate pursuits in my experience. On the one hand, sound policies for urban growth in major cities (at any scale) necessitates centralized human-scale development (which doesn't exclude skyscrapers, just demands appropriate design of the street), and on the other hand the economic development department is getting paid to act as a real estate broker and transact business amongst available properties and interested and self-motivated individuals with the only pay off being that tax revenue increases (sometimes, in non-TIF situations, which are becoming less and less common it seems). So, I would guess this is a case of an economic development department proposal to use otherwise vacant or underutilized land in a manner which is possible although perhaps not ideal for no reason other than it was an opportunity to lure business -- without regard to whether it makes sense from a planning or design perspective. While I can't speak for how it unfolded in Portland's case, that's often how this all works.

 

[Corey]

Danforth on High

Elm Terrace

 

[Matt68]

Happy Holidays To Everyone,
Thanks for update Corey. I am especially looking forward to completion of Danforth on High as Developers Collaborative has done great work around Portland and added a lot to the city. I absolutely love Crescent Heights student housing{wonderful idea} and like Chestnut Street Lofts as well. Condominiums make a much stronger statement about a community and market than apartments.

 

[grittys457]

Steel frame is really starting to take shape at the CCCC

Also they've started the work on the side of the Fore Street garage. Guess they gotta tear off that wall cause the hotel is connected right with it.

Guy I know who works in the Canal area says that Tim Soley's big goal in the next twenty years is to put up a tall building in the lot behind the garage, in front of Novare. I don't see there being enough of a footprint there but land is money

 

[Portlander]

Unfortunately, Mr Soley is height limited on that parcel of land so he will not be able to go too tall. I think 95 feet is the max without zoning changes, Patrick is the expert in this department. He needs to purchase the Top of the Old Port property in order to meet our lofty aspirations!

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

He needs to purchase the Top of the Old Port property in order to meet our lofty aspirations!

If anyone is going to build something on the Top of the Old Port, it's John Cacoulidis, especially since he owns the adjacent property.

 

[Portlander]

A good friend of mine knows Mr. Cacoulidis very well and I have met him personally and our opinion is that nothing will ever get built by him on that property. Nice man with wonderful intentions, but his age and resistance to being flexible is a deterrent to any development with his name on it in the near future. The Press Herald hotel project is currently on hold due to his reluctance to work with the potential buyer/developer. We will have to wait and see if it eventually gets worked out.

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

The Press Herald hotel project is currently on hold due to his reluctance to work with the potential buyer/developer. We will have to wait and see if it eventually gets worked out.

That's probably a good thing. Of all of the proposed hotels right now, that one makes the least amount of sense. I'd rather see that building renovated as office space.

Speaking of the Press Herald, they just posted this updated rendering of the St. Lawrence Arts Center proposal on their website:

Link to article: http://www.pressherald.com/news/critics-say-munjoy-hill-design-is-too-boxy_2012-12-11.html

Getting better...

 

[Portlander]

Huge improvement, I could live with this revision. Am sure there will be some more fine tuning!

 

[mainejeff]

That's probably a good thing. Of all of the proposed hotels right now, that one makes the least amount of sense. I'd rather see that building renovated as office space.

Speaking of the Press Herald, they just posted this updated rendering of the St. Lawrence Arts Center proposal on their website:

Link to article: http://www.pressherald.com/news/critics-say-munjoy-hill-design-is-too-boxy_2012-12-11.html

Getting better...

Definitely closer to one of the examples that I presented.......

I'd give the newest incarnation a 6 out of 10.........100% improvement over the prior design that was presented.

 

[FrankLloydMike]

That's probably a good thing. Of all of the proposed hotels right now, that one makes the least amount of sense. I'd rather see that building renovated as office space.

Speaking of the Press Herald, they just posted this updated rendering of the St. Lawrence Arts Center proposal on their website:

Link to article: http://www.pressherald.com/news/critics-say-munjoy-hill-design-is-too-boxy_2012-12-11.html

Getting better...

I think it actually looks boxier and clunkier than before. That two-level canopy could hardly be more inelegant. It's hard to tell, but from the drawings on the board in the other photo, that might just be a function of the rudimentary rendering rather than the design, and their portfolio indicates final work much stronger than this rendering.

Still, the images of the previous design on the architect's website convince me that the massing, at least, of the previous design is much stronger and more elegant. For instance, the boxy area above the ground floor serves as an awning for the windows lining the street, and viewed from the northeast, the glass box at the top is more prominent and dramatic. I really think that this earlier design, with some finessing, would be a much better project than the latest revisions. Obviously, the treatment of the cladding (which looks like brick in the renderings) will determine how successful the project would be, depending on whether it is patterned, textured and engaging or just a blank wall.

But the only thing that the latest revision has going for it, as far as I can tell, is a taller set of windows at the corner. That makes the corner more prominent, but actually disrupts the pattern throughout the neighborhood, in which storefronts may run the length of the ground floor, but maintain a consistent height, reinforced with horizontal details. The old design, with careful attention paid to the cladding and with some other revisions, is more contextual and much more elegant, in my opinion, than the latest revisions.

 

[Portlander]

Noticed that the future Marriott lot on Commercial @ Maple St is no longer being used as a parking lot for JB Brown. It appears that the entire footprint of the proposed hotel structure is covered in black plastic with cut up rubber tires on top and the outline is marked with wooden stakes. Looks odd, must be part of the process to prepare the soil for construction during the winter months?

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

Noticed that the future Marriott lot on Commercial @ Maple St is no longer being used as a parking lot for JB Brown. It appears that the entire footprint of the proposed hotel structure is covered in black plastic with cut up rubber tires on top and the outline is marked with wooden stakes. Looks odd, must be part of the process to prepare the soil for construction during the winter months?

It could also be part of the remediation process. 315 Commercial Street is a brownfield (Union Oil Company).

 

[Portlander]

Possibly, but I think the entire parcel of land would be covered instead of just the footprint of the building if that was the case. Go check it out next time you are on Commercial Street.

 

[grittys457]

Just saw it. Def a footprint. Must stop frost or something

 

[Corey]

It's wonderful to see parking lots being replaced with buildings. Here's a scene from 1982 via the Portland History Facebook Page. I knew the spot where One City Center is used to be parking (and before that there were buildings there) but I hadn't seen it quite from this angle before. It gives me hope for the Top of the Old Port lot and all the other parking lots around Gorham's Corner.