Portland, ME - New Construction Continued

Thanks for the heads up, TC. I usually get a free copy of the magazine each month when they feature some of my photos. Non-subscribers can read the magazine online too, this article starts on page 49 of the November issue. I think I like the renderings by Archetype the most, from a visual perspective. However they proceed, it's nice to see owners of that block getting several firms to submit their ideas.
 
Interesting read on the PPH site today about a possible centralized homeless shelter/soup kitchen in Bayside. Further increasing the amount of land in Bayside that is dedicated to social services does sound like it might conflict with the vision of what this neighborhood could become. But that being said, I'm not sure where else these sorts of services could be located within the city.
 
The PDT Architects' website has renderings of their proposal:
http://www.pdtarchs.com/current/wharf-on-the-fore.html and below. I think that this one's my favorite of the three. It looks like they're aiming to create some really good street-level storefronts and alleys.

The black building masses could be really striking – in a good way if they use high-quality materials, and in a bad way if they do it with cheap paneling. It would be cool to have a contemporary building make use of black bricks in the Old Port, like this new building in NYC:
http://archidose.blogspot.com/2009/03/todays-archidose-292.html


Some screenshots:

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Surprised you like that choice. Thought it's horribly dated

The archetype one blows it away. Are they planning on booting out foreplay and some of the other places? No pics of bucks still being there.

What's the timeframe in general?
 
Am I the only one who thinks the above pictures are horrible? The new hotel is strange enough, but it is striking because it is so different, and that makes it stand out as unique. Do we want to slowly replace the warm brick charm of the Old Port (which makes it such an attraction to so many people) with this kind of characterless building material? I'm all for this kind of development in new areas, but does it really need to take away from the charming older areas?
 
Those pictures are so bad I almost can't believe they are serious. Who would want to walk down Wharf Street with a row of black metal buildings on either side? That fundamentally changes the area and the reason people adore it today.
 
PortlandArch said:
Am I the only one who thinks the above pictures are horrible? The new hotel is strange enough, but it is striking because it is so different, and that makes it stand out as unique. Do we want to slowly replace the warm brick charm of the Old Port (which makes it such an attraction to so many people) with this kind of characterless building material? I'm all for this kind of development in new areas, but does it really need to take away from the charming older areas?
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I'm right there with you on this. I prefer Archetype's proposal in this area because it blends in much better than what PDT is proposing. I'm still on the fence about Canal 5's proposal. I couldn't tell if it incorporated brick or not.
 
elemenoh said:
I don't get the "skywalk," though. The article doesn't explain why it's needed.
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Based on the renderings, it appear to me it's for relatievly level access from Fore Street to potential retail on the 2nd floor of the Wharf Street building. It would make sense. The masses are generally lazy and won't take stairs to access that retail otherwise.
 
Thank god that black mess wasn't chosen! I know that some of you like these new bland looks and materials......but they are becoming overused in Portland. Obviously these materials are cheaper or the developers wouldn't be using them. I get the feeling that in 20 or 30 years people will look at some of this new stuff and be like "WTF were they thinking?".

I like the one that they chose but also don't get the skybridge. It seems like something that is really not needed for that area.
 
elemenoh said:
This is a really nice proposal. I don't get the "skywalk," though. The article doesn't explain why it's needed.

Article here: http://www.pressherald.com/2014/11/07/vision-for-section-of-old-port-fresh-look-marketplace-skyway/
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Of those I've seen the selected one was the best, but I don't like the skywalk. It will just block the view of the whole street, which is a very charming one and arguably one of the reasons people come to Portland. I think it's needed, however, because it will tie the two properties seamlessly together and allow those inside to access both parts even on cold days without going outside. ore of a mall approach to development and one I think is inappropriate here for that reason.
 
Dr. StrangeHat said:
Based on the renderings, it appear to me it's for relatievly level access from Fore Street to potential retail on the 2nd floor of the Wharf Street building. It would make sense. The masses are generally lazy and won't take stairs to access that retail otherwise.
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Yeah I would agree. This approach has been tried elsewhere and usually ends up destroying the street life which is why the real estate was so in demand to begin with. Look at the Maine Med sky bridge. No one is renting the storefronts beneath it. Look at the Portland Public Market in Bayside (now PowerPay)...no one walks there and the Market folded and even had its front steps removed. Other cities in the Midwest try this and all it does is turn the streets (the best part of a city) into empty spaces and internalize all of the activity--a very suburban approach to development and antithetical to the reasons cities are so successful (vibrant public life).
 
Well, the Maine Med and Public Market sky bridges were designed to bring people from a parking garage to a set location without having to cross a busy street that didn't have any ground-floor appeal to begin with. At least here it appears meant to generate more viable retail space on the 2nd floor of the Wharf Street building, which would otherwise end up as office or residential space. There is also existing ground floor retail up and down Wharf Street that will continue to provide foot traffic.

Honestly, it's not my favorite part of the design, but I don't see this destroying the street life at all on Wharf Street. I think you're still going to get the foot traffic coming up from Commercial Street and from the far end of Wharf Street. If anything it might cut down on foot traffic coming down from Free Street, but hopefully they can use the interior design of the 2nd floor of the Wharf Street building to then funnel foot traffic down to ground floor on Wharf Street with a grand open staircase or something. The masses have less of an issue going down stairs compared to going up stairs.

Maybe they could get rid of the diagonal cross members and make it all glass, if structurally possible? I think that would be more appealing.
 
Dr. StrangeHat said:
Well, the Maine Med and Public Market sky bridges were designed to bring people from a parking garage to a set location without having to cross a busy street that didn't have any ground-floor appeal to begin with. At least here it appears meant to generate more viable retail space on the 2nd floor of the Wharf Street building, which would otherwise end up as office or residential space. There is also existing ground floor retail up and down Wharf Street that will continue to provide foot traffic.

Honestly, it's not my favorite part of the design, but I don't see this destroying the street life at all on Wharf Street. I think you're still going to get the foot traffic coming up from Commercial Street and from the far end of Wharf Street. If anything it might cut down on foot traffic coming down from Free Street, but hopefully they can use the interior design of the 2nd floor of the Wharf Street building to then funnel foot traffic down to ground floor on Wharf Street with a grand open staircase or something. The masses have less of an issue going down stairs compared to going up stairs.

Maybe they could get rid of the diagonal cross members and make it all glass, if structurally possible? I think that would be more appealing.
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The skybridge for the Public Market Building was part of the overall design of the complex, so while you're right it alone was designed to bring people from point a to b, the complex as a whole was designed to reinvigorate Bayside (and it failed). Part of its shortcoming is arguably the fact that all of the people it brought in never actually set foot in the neighborhood. I guess that's what the point is in the Old Port. Will this take people off of Wharf Street? If not, I don't really have a problem with it other than the fact that it blocks the relatively nice terminating vista down the alley toward the Portland Harbor Hotel.
 
Photo updates...

409 Cumberland Avenue:
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Sheridan Street thing:
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Munjoy Heights:
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Marquis Lofts on Lafayette Street:
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118 on Munjoy Hill:
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West End Place:
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Thanks for the updated photos, Corey. Looking forward to seeing some of these in person while I'm home over the holidays.

It's interesting to see so many of these projects reaching the finish line at the same time. I think some are going to look better than others when all is said and done. The Avesta project isn't looking bad but I'm still bummed that the Waterview project never got built! It would have created a nice viewscape on that stretch of Cumberland Avenue.
 
Photo update on steroids! Great job! Can't wait to see them when I put the combat boots in the attic and retire next year.
 
Max said:
The Avesta project isn't looking bad but I'm still bummed that the Waterview project never got built! It would have created a nice viewscape on that stretch of Cumberland Avenue.
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Agreed. I have to admit the Avesta building is bigger than I imagined when it was proposed, but it's still not as nice as the Waterview would be standing there.

Interested to see how that facade looks when it's done. I'm 50/50 on it right now.
 
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