Proposed Convention Center | Portland

Cosakita18

Cosakita18

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Interesting note, today lawmakers in Augusta are meeting to discuss: LD 341, “An Act To Authorize a General Fund Bond Issue for the Construction of a Convention Center in Portland.” A $150 million bond which is co-sponsored by a few legislators from around the Portland area, including Rep's Brennan and Sylvester of Portland.

Here is a link to the Legislative Document:



This is just a discussion of the bond itself, and doesn't provide any information about location, square footage or accompanying development.
 
Put it in Bayside with a transportation link (light rail)....Old Port > Congress St > Convention Center > Amtrak Station > Jetport.
 
I realize this is very Urban Renewal-ish, but I've thought for years that an ideal location for a convention center would be here (my apologies for the poor artwork):

ConventionCenterLocation.png


Run a tunnel under Spring St. to connect to the lower level of the Civic Center and you've got a great convention setup!
 
This location is probably a more probable location. MEMIC now owns it, but i could see them dumping it for the right price. They don't necessarily need a new facility at this point.

Obviously the size of the parcel limits the size of any convention center, but Portland doesn't need a massive convention center like the Hynes or Bayside Expo Center, just something that can work in conjunction with the civic center.

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Both of those highlighted sites would require the demolition of historic buildings, and there's absolutely no way either the city or neighborhood residents would allow that to happen.

There are a few empty parking lots in downtown in Bayside that I could easily see being redeveloped as a convention center. Most notably the top of the old Port parking lot
 
Cosakita18 said:
Both of those highlighted sites would require the demolition of historic buildings, and there's absolutely no way either the city or neighborhood residents would allow that to happen.
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I know the building on Fore at the front of Rivalries is one of special interest for GP Landmarks; apparently it's a post-fire example of a style of building that was prevalent in the city before 1866.
 
Check out the upcoming schedule at BCCE. It's sick. Do you still think Portland can get by without a convention center (adjoining CIA) and anchor hotel (Holiday Inn expansion and enclosed walkway)? Why would anyone want to have a convention in Portland with what Boston has to offer? Boston is ten times larger than Portland, but with conventions, 1,000 times bigger (in total attendees) Like I keep saying, if you think it can't be done....

https://10times.com/venues/boston-convention-exhibition-center-bcec
 
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Is Portland still looking at building a convention center? I have not heard any recent news. I know the peninsula is running out of land to construct a respectable size venue and the prices certainly are not going down. Always rooting for the underdog, and Portland is becoming more unlikely to get any type of conventions that Boston or Worcester seem to be attracting.
 
Rock Row intends to build a facility, which will also include a (somewhat?) enclosed venue suitable for presentations or concerts. Of course, that's Westbrook and not downtown. I haven't heard anything regarding current plans downtown.
 
The Portland Fish Pier Lot on Commercial Street would be a great spot. On the waterfront with five hotels within a couple of blocks and the 240 room Holiday Inn a little further up the hill. The other location which is also city owned property is the massive parking lot to the east of the Maine State Pier which also has five hotels a short walk away and this spot is right on the water and next to the Ocean Gateway Terminal.
 
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Aside from Top of the Old Port, Portland is running out of land options.

Is there anything historically significant about the Maine Health building on Free/Spring?

I'd love for the Holiday Inn + Garage, Civic Center + Garage to be razed and have something built there. Take the Maine Health Building while you're at it. Fill in the empty lot across from Aura with a boutique hotel, extra land around the Museum of Art (post expansion), and fill in the Portland Square Lots. Create some attractive density while getting rid of the garbage. Build UP.
 
DanielPWM19 said:
I'd love for the Holiday Inn + Garage, Civic Center + Garage to be razed.....
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Hey, that's my go-to option for taking a leak when I get to the city! Free 2 hour parking down the hill on High Street, leak, walk, eat, walk, snack, walk back, leak again, move car to another part of the city within 1.5-2 hours.
 
DanielPWM19 said:
I'd love for the Holiday Inn + Garage, Civic Center + Garage to be razed and have something built there. Take the Maine Health Building while you're at it. Fill in the empty lot across from Aura with a boutique hotel, extra land around the Museum of Art (post expansion), and fill in the Portland Square Lots. Create some attractive density while getting rid of the garbage. Build UP.
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Civic Center + Spring St garage have to go - I've heard that some concerts/events avoid this venue because the new "improved" "easier" docks are hard/impossible to back into. They don't look hard to me, but then again I don't drive a really long vehicle.

The old mall/Sears(?) building on Free St should be torn down - then you'd have the whole block for the convention center. Replace the Holiday Inn garage and connect the garage/hotel to the convention center with a footbridge over Spring. Actually, as I'm thinking of it now, Maine Health owns the parking lot behind Dogfish so you could continue the convention center across Oak St. Dogfish might not be there much longer anyway (according to recent article) so you could build the convention center all the way to the new PMA building!
 
I work at the CCCC and due to the Planning Board and your wonderful fire dept, the original plan to close center was shut down because the fire dept needs a cut through. The planning board told cianbro to make the sidewalks ada compatible. Well that makes the trucks back in at an angle which makes it hard to back into the loading dock door. The loading door were made straight while the sidewalk going down center is at an angle... Convention Centers are not money makers. The CCCC before covid was in the black. Artists love big venues, so Portland is at a disadvantage. Bangor will attract big acts during the summer only. The Cross Insurance Center is not doing that great. The arena in Manchester NH is losing money like a sieve. The Centrum in Mass is doing okay but only attracts medium sized conventions. That venue is both a convention/arena. Springfield Mass Arena is not doing that great either even though MGM has an agreement with the hockey team and arena. I always wanted to have someone build a building in the Portland Sq complex. Build a skywalk between the CIA and the convention center as well as the Holiday Inn. This would allow conventioneers to flow between buildings easily.
 
PWMFlyer said:
I work at the CCCC and due to the Planning Board and your wonderful fire dept, the original plan to close center was shut down because the fire dept needs a cut through. The planning board told cianbro to make the sidewalks ada compatible. Well that makes the trucks back in at an angle which makes it hard to back into the loading dock door. The loading door were made straight while the sidewalk going down center is at an angle...
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Have/do shows/events avoid the arena due to the dock situation? Or is that hearsay?
 
PWMFlyer said:
I work at the CCCC and due to the Planning Board and your wonderful fire dept, the original plan to close center was shut down because the fire dept needs a cut through. The planning board told cianbro to make the sidewalks ada compatible. Well that makes the trucks back in at an angle which makes it hard to back into the loading dock door. The loading door were made straight while the sidewalk going down center is at an angle... Convention Centers are not money makers. The CCCC before covid was in the black. Artists love big venues, so Portland is at a disadvantage. Bangor will attract big acts during the summer only. The Cross Insurance Center is not doing that great. The arena in Manchester NH is losing money like a sieve. The Centrum in Mass is doing okay but only attracts medium sized conventions. That venue is both a convention/arena. Springfield Mass Arena is not doing that great either even though MGM has an agreement with the hockey team and arena. I always wanted to have someone build a building in the Portland Sq complex. Build a skywalk between the CIA and the convention center as well as the Holiday Inn. This would allow conventioneers to flow between buildings easily.
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Agree, that it is a good idea to link CIA with an office bldg/hotel/convention space diagonally across the street. Also, with the Holiday Inn. Make these elevated walkways all glass and double wide so exhibit space can run along the inside middle. For my work lately, I've been given the luxury of being included in luxury boxes in several sports venues across the country. CIA did theirs wrong. Ideal luxury boxes provide some privacy in the back (with the buffet style food offerings), bar type seating in the middle, and stadium seats in the front to see the event). CIA's luxury boxes are not luxury boxes. They are just spaces. Also, all sports venues across the country, or the newer and nicer ones, are giving fans in the regular seats options to stand and watch the action. I know that when I go with my bros to Fenway, we opt for the bar behind and at the top of the Green Monster. Standing at a bar and seeing all of Boston and the game simultaneously is much more enjoyable than sitting in a seat the entire time (for me). TD Garden just spent over $100 million to fix their problem of not giving the upper decks, or the cheaper tickets, this option of social standing space. Ideally, CIA needs to raise the roof 30 feet for another deck of real luxury boxes, and food options with open space to stand and see the action. It could also be used as convention space. It wouldn't be cheap, but it would be a far better experience. I talked with a V.P. at NRG Stadium in Houston (72,000 seats) and they are begging the county for $150-$200 million to do this idea for the general ticket holders. Lifestyle interests change, but existing buildings don't unless you spend money to fit that new desire. The CIA is still in a GREAT location, one of the best in Portland.
 
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Consensus seems to be to tear down the Civic Center and adjacent garbage. Elevated walkways would be amazing.
 
I'd be fine with a new/improved version of the CC as part of a larger complex - increase the size of the HI garage and build a skywalk, get rid of Spring St garage, buy the Maine Health building and parking lot and replace all that with multilevel meeting/convention space - or whatever other stuff is needed to make it work financially.
 
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