Portland, ME - New Construction Continued

Portland Science Center PR release. It's the top two floors above the soon to be new restaurant by Sam Hayward and Dana Street. This and the surrounding area will be quite the center for activity. (so in a "U" shaped configuration, a huge new rest., PSC, Flatbread, Ri Ra, CBL, and State Pier with over 20 concerts this summer) I think the waterfront should get even more "knowledge based" attractions, such as the obvious aquarium idea and perhaps an old Clipper Ship parked near the street end of the wharf would be a good idea, especially one that had a little maritime museum inside or adjacent.

http://www.knightcanney.com/portland-science-center-open-maine-wharf/
 
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133 York
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West Commercial St.
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Sheridan St. & Avesta's new building to the right.
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Has anyone heard any "new" news regarding Thompson Point or Midtown? I am curious if these projects will actually happen. Thank you Corey for the updates. You are a true professional when it comes to taking beautiful pictures.
 
Midtown seems to be actively seeking tenants with a newish commercial listing for its retail spaces: http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=17645816

Given the size of the project, I'm not surprised it's taken them a few months to finalize permits and construction financing.

Thompson's Point is way, way behind its approved phasing schedule and seems mostly focused on being an outdoor concert venue for now, but they have fixed up one of the old brick buildings. One of the project's original partners recently cashed out and is now Portland's new city manager. So evidently, managing bureaucrats in City Hall offers more career excitement than Thompson's Point would have – not a great sign.

I ride my bike down there every now and then, and it's going to be a challenging site, a dead-end road cut off from the city by the Libbytown freeway ramps. It's not a walkable neighborhood by a long shot and there's not much reason to drive down there either.
 
Also, here's a new proposal from Avesta for a parking lot in the West End (17 Carleton St):
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17 Carleton St looks like some nice infill for the area. Does anyone know if the addition to St. Lawrence Arts Center has begun yet and if there has been any progress on the Wharf street project (the one that had the design competition)?
 
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Not an Avesta fan but I like that.

Speaking of that, Corey I think we're not only neighbors, but we live directly across from each other. Is there a bakery a couple doors down?
 
cneal said:
Midtown seems to be actively seeking tenants with a newish commercial listing for its retail spaces: http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=17645816

Given the size of the project, I'm not surprised it's taken them a few months to finalize permits and construction financing.

Thompson's Point is way, way behind its approved phasing schedule and seems mostly focused on being an outdoor concert venue for now, but they have fixed up one of the old brick buildings. One of the project's original partners recently cashed out and is now Portland's new city manager. So evidently, managing bureaucrats in City Hall offers more career excitement than Thompson's Point would have – not a great sign.

I ride my bike down there every now and then, and it's going to be a challenging site, a dead-end road cut off from the city by the Libbytown freeway ramps. It's not a walkable neighborhood by a long shot and there's not much reason to drive down there either.
Click to expand...

The cellar door is opening up a wine tasting room in one of the brick buildings, it should be very nice having been to there other places.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...AgJbpARBlZdaJ-l3B57IHJg&bvm=bv.96041959,d.b2w
 
Thompson's Point may not be walkable from downtown, but it's definitely walkable from the Libbytown-Bradley's Corner neighborhood as well as the south-of-Congress streets; take it from someone who used to walk to St. Pat's every day.

So far as the project schedule goes, I have to think that what gummed it up (at least most recently) was when the city convinced Suburban Propane to move out to Riverside St. The latest plan (at least that I've seen, and that was a while ago) put the parking garage and arena on the Suburban property, with the two-story brick building becoming the ticket booths and offices. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the slightest sign of any activity on the Riverside St. land which would get that part of the process moving, and so the only hard signs of activity were the roadway improvements and clearing up the concert pavilion. Plus, if you're going to be digging up the landscape with new construction, why would you lead with planting the artisanal ornamental fruit trees?
 
I would think that extending that option should be a routine matter, assuming the city is right and it really did expire. The sabre-rattling about lawsuits bothers me, because it shouldn't have to be a big deal. At the same time, where did this hotel plan come from all of a sudden?
 
There's no such thing as a routine matter in Portland. Let's face it, the City hasn't liked this project since it was redesigned to satisfy the community members who sued. The developer hasn't been able to deliver the supply to meet the demand which factored into the design, as a result of myriad factors related to a delayed and challenging permitting process...and now is being told they can't do anything at all without further council approval (in the middle of a short construction season). The article highlights some of these things but sometimes it's necessary to read between the lines to see what's really going on. The council still seems generally in support of this development but staff operates the daily process and has no accountability given the tremendous turnover and lack of clear chain of command.
 
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