Portland Square Redevelopment | Portland

I knew at some point Brian Boru would be torn down to make that lot developable. You could be around it or incorporate it in the design as like many buildings in boston are designed using the facade of an old building. Hopefully this ignites the Portland Square development
 
Back in January I saw a crew from Summit Geoengineering doing what appeared to be exploratory boring on the lot next to Boru. I would guess they're working on a Master Development Plan for the site that will likely include some taller buildings.
 
A building worth saving should be of architectural and/or historical significance. Brian Boru has neither. What it does have, is good memories drinking with friends then making a clown out of one's self. The building IS a cartoon. There is no valid argument to save this structure other than thinking it has value with memories. But these memories will continue on without it's physical existence.
 
This building is almost 200 years old. Just because it doesn't technically have any historic protections doesn't mean it should be torn down just because MEMIC can't be creative in developing a site plan that incorporates the building into whatever they have planned. Historic structures need not be "Casualties of progress"
 
Cosakita18 said:
This building is almost 200 years old. Just because it doesn't technically have any historic protections doesn't mean it should be torn down just because MEMIC can't be creative in developing a site plan that incorporates the building into whatever they have planned. Historic structures need not be "Casualties of progress"
Click to expand...
It would be cool (although very unlikely) if they auctioned off the building so someone could deconstruct and move it. It would probably be too costly for a developer to deconstruct and move it elsewhere in Portland, but it would be amazing to move it to an open lot somewhere. Gosh knows Portland has an abundance of superfluous empty lots. Preserving *any* character in the city seems worthwhile to me (we already lost the two train stations, theaters). And an abundance of architecture is being built that will look dated in 10-20 years. There's space next to 503 Fore Street at the corner (dirt parking lot). Just move it there.
 
Last edited:
Not sure if I missed something in the earlier thread but is this structure being torn down? Years ago it was proposed to be relocated when a Scarborough developer proposed a 12-story building there, right before the Great Recession.
 
Urban World said:
Not sure if I missed something in the earlier thread but is this structure being torn down? Years ago it was proposed to be relocated when a Scarborough developer proposed a 12-story building there, right before the Great Recession.
Click to expand...

This might be what you're referring to? Not sure how serious of a proposal this was, but it's a great study in modern development with traditional land use patterns.

1623701849282.png
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Brian Boru building is not part of the Portland Square redevelopment. The Portland Square parcels (4) are to the east of Cotton Street and the former pub is part of MEMIC's potential project to the west of Cotton. Maybe PWMFlyer could start a new MEMIC Redevelopment thread once we start seeing some actual plans for their property?
 
Last edited:
Portlander said:
Correct me if I'm wrong, but Brian Boru building is not part of the Portland Square redevelopment. The Portland Square parcels (4) are to the east of Cotton Street and the former pub is part of MEMIC's potential project to the west of Cotton. Maybe PWMFlyer could start a new MEMIC Redevelopment thread once we start seeing some actual plans for their property?
Click to expand...

Right. This would be an entirely separate project. I think it's a good idea to discuss it here until plans are announced.

Does anyone know anything about the status of the Portland Square project? If I'm not mistaken the phase 1office building and garage have planning approval, but I assumed the project was a victim of the pandemic....Although 3 Portland Square is still being listed on commercial leasing sites. The Boulos listing shows the top three floors and one retail space leased.
 
Last edited:
Cosakita18 said:
This building is almost 200 years old. Just because it doesn't technically have any historic protections doesn't mean it should be torn down just because MEMIC can't be creative in developing a site plan that incorporates the building into whatever they have planned. Historic structures need not be "Casualties of progress"
Click to expand...
The Abyssinian House is also around 200 years old. It's not much bigger in size and also made of wood. I think it will be a bit over $4 million for this renovation, and as we know, it's been quite a complicated project. But well worth it considering it's historic significance. I don't see how spending a million or two to save the BB building can be justified. I've not heard anything about its history.
 
TC_zoid said:
The Abyssinian House is also around 200 years old. It's not much bigger in size and also made of wood. I think it will be a bit over $4 million for this renovation, and as we know, it's been quite a complicated project. But well worth it considering it's historic significance. I don't see how spending a million or two to save the BB building can be justified. I've not heard anything about its history.
Click to expand...
Looks like history was provided on a new page. Remember - they wanted to tear down the Victoria Mansion for a gas station. Once history is gone, it cannot be replaced and is too expensive to replicate. Portland has always lacked "vision" when it has comes to development and historic preservation. So much so that vacant lots have sat there longer than they ever should have been (then became too expensive to develop). One economic downturn after another has gotten in the way of progress. And the blockade of misguided NIMBY's (many of which are only part-time and white Mainers). Let us also not forget the purpose of Urban Renewal was to remove "slums", but really to eradicate undesirables. Perhaps if Portland had any vision at all, we would still have two beautiful train stations (perhaps now public markets or event spaces), trains connecting Portland to Boston, Quebec, Montreal, New York. Lovely opera houses, an intact Irish and Italian neighborhood with a more practical Franklin Boulevard. Costs are now such an obstruction. So let's inspire vision in Portland - move the Brian Boru building next to 503 Fore Street. Would make complete sense to me. And if you don't live in Portland, perhaps leave it for those of us who do.
 
[
DanielPWM19 said:
Looks like history was provided on a new page. Remember - they wanted to tear down the Victoria Mansion for a gas station. Once history is gone, it cannot be replaced and is too expensive to replicate. Portland has always lacked "vision" when it has comes to development and historic preservation. So much so that vacant lots have sat there longer than they ever should have been (then became too expensive to develop). One economic downturn after another has gotten in the way of progress. And the blockade of misguided NIMBY's (many of which are only part-time and white Mainers). Let us also not forget the purpose of Urban Renewal was to remove "slums", but really to eradicate undesirables. Perhaps if Portland had any vision at all, we would still have two beautiful train stations (perhaps now public markets or event spaces), trains connecting Portland to Boston, Quebec, Montreal, New York. Lovely opera houses, an intact Irish and Italian neighborhood with a more practical Franklin Boulevard. Costs are now such an obstruction. So let's inspire vision in Portland - move the Brian Boru building next to 503 Fore Street. Would make complete sense to me. And if you don't live in Portland, perhaps leave it for those of us who do.
Click to expand...

The newfound BB history is nice, but not significant enough. Otherwise, every building, house, farm, shack, outhouse, boat, car, you name it, would have to be saved because of the people from the past who spent time within. We tend to romanticize things from the past, but that doesn't make them worth remembering or seeing in a dilapidated or rejuvenated fashion.
 
TC_zoid said:
[


The newfound BB history is nice, but not significant enough. Otherwise, every building, house, farm, shack, outhouse, boat, car, you name it, would have to be saved because of the people from the past who spent time within. We tend to romanticize things from the past, but that doesn't make them worth remembering or seeing in a dilapidated or rejuvenated fashion.
Click to expand...
Hmm ... looks like Memic removed their request to demolish this building. Looks like if enough people care, history can be preserved. I don't think anything about it is "new found". In a city that has lost and lacks a lot of architectural history, any preservation is better than none. Looks like a lot of people also agree - and not just bc it's a bar.
 
The fact that they wanted to demolish the building to add surface parking is absolutely insane. Cities (including Portland) spent decades tearing down so many historic and useful structures just to make way for wider roads and parking lots...which we now pretty much universally view as a mistake. Sad that we still haven't fully learned the lessons from the urban renewal era.
 
The intermediate plan was to fix the dirt lots and tear down the non historic building after the 2 floors where taken off decades ago. Does anyone remember the dinosour that sat on top of the building in the corner? Landscaping, etc. Until a permanent fixture is built. Memic will lose parking in the Portland square lower lot when that gets developed. If the 2 floors were still there, I would think differently. Does the same go for J's Oyster Bar? Samuels? Rockin Rickys, The Sulky lounge? do we save our favorite drinking establishments?
 
PWMFlyer said:
Does the same go for J's Oyster Bar? Samuels? Rockin Rickys, The Sulky lounge? do we save our favorite drinking establishments?
Click to expand...
Yes. They are part of what makes Portland feel like Portland and breaks up the commercials buildings and surface parking lots.
 
PWMFlyer said:
Memic will lose parking in the Portland square lower lot when that gets developed.
Click to expand...

Even if and when the Portland Square lot gets redeveloped, phase I of that project includes an 800+ space parking garage. Any loss of parking is temporary, and the final buildout will have far more parking than what exists currently.

You can either have a city that's good for people or a city that's good for cars, but you can't have both.
 
The commercial leasing brochure for 3 Portland Square has recently been updated (Loopnet says the listing was updated last week)
As far as I can tell the original construction and occupancy timeline has been removed from the brochure.

www.loopnet.com

3 Portland Sq, Portland, ME 04101 | LoopNet

3 Portland Sq, Portland, ME 04101. This space can be viewed on LoopNet. The Portland Square campus is located at the center of Portl
www.loopnet.com www.loopnet.com
Has anyone heard anything about the status of this project? For a relatively large downtown development, it never received much publicity or attention.
 
Last edited:
Cosakita18 said:
The commercial leasing brochure for 3 Portland Square has recently been updated (Loopnet says the listing was updated last week)
As far as I can tell the original construction and occupancy timeline has been removed from the brochure.

www.loopnet.com

3 Portland Sq, Portland, ME 04101 | LoopNet

3 Portland Sq, Portland, ME 04101. This space can be viewed on LoopNet. The Portland Square campus is located at the center of Portl
www.loopnet.com www.loopnet.com
Has anyone heard anything about the status of this project? For a relatively large downtown development, it never received much publicity or attention.
Click to expand...
It does at least show the top three floors are under contract?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top