Rock Row (née The Ridge, née Dirigo Plaza) | Westbrook, ME

[Dr. StrangeHat]

I would hope any planning board would nix this crap. Barf!!!

Unfortunately, the Westbrook Planning Board doesn't have as much say in design as Portland's Planning Board and HPB. They tend to offer suggestions during workshop (three of them are architects by trade), but, ultimately, they don't have the legal standing to force design under the City Charter. If it falls within the existing zoning regs, they have little recourse to stop it. This is why the ConvenientMD location was allowed to even happen. None of the Planning board members liked the design or really even wanted that in that location, but they had no grounds to stop it. Same with the Blue Spruce Farm cookie-cutter home and apartment designs.

 

[Portlander]

Article in Mainebiz touting Maine's first mass timber office building with retail on the ground floor a total square footage of 150,000.

 

[NR2Portland]

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Article in Mainebiz touting Maine's first mass timber office building with retail on the ground floor a total square footage of 150,000.

Love the rendering, did they mention when they expect to get this project underway? I hear the Medical campus has started construction? I’m anxious to see when this office space, the beer hall, residential buildings, convention center, quarry itself, etc. get going (without any downsizing).

 

[markhb]

Medical campus is indeed under construction and the stage is finally gone.

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

Love the rendering, did they mention when they expect to get this project underway?

It hasn't been brought before the Planning Board yet, so I'm guessing it's a ways out.

 

[Cosakita18]

The same MaineBiz article was updated with a new rendering which seems to show the building with an angle and extending further north

 

[PWMFlyer]

Westbrook Planning Board Agenda 10/4

 

[markhb]

Unfortunately, if the materials for last night's meeting were ever posted, they aren't now.

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

Westbrook Planning Board Agenda 10/4
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That's the medical campus already under construction, not the timber-frame office building. They had to go back in front of the Planning Board to make a revision to their previously approved final site plan (waiver to reduce the parking requirement from 762 spaces to 674 spaces).

Presentation starts around at the 31:30 mark in this video:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1144238699828953

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

Looks like the first residential building is going in front of the Planning Board during workshop on November 2nd:

 

[mainejeff]

350 units....that would definitely make a dent in some much needed housing for the area.

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

350 units....that would definitely make a dent in some much needed housing for the area.

Yup. Also on the agenda under New Business for final approval is the proposed 204-unit project on Spring Street where the old small mobile home park (not Hamlet) sits.

Add to that the proposed 192-unit complex behind The Stockhouse, and that's 746 total residential units going on line in Westbrook in the next two years. When you include the three large proposed housing developments on Brook Street, the large proposed development off Lincoln Street, the residential component of the Vertical Harvest project, and all of the other smaller projects already on the table, that puts total residential units going on line in Westbrook over the next 3-5 years somewhere around 1,300-1,400.

At this pace, Westbrook could continue to be Maine's fastest growing city at the 2030 census.

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

A little more detail in the staff memo for tonight's Planning Board meeting, but alas, no additional materials posted on line.

I know there are several concept layouts floating around on this overall project, but based on the one currently presented in several places on their website, as well as the brochure for the CLT office building, it's likely this structure here:

This would be 350 of the planned 750 residential units.

I'll watch the stream of the meeting tonight and post some screen shots tomorrow.

 

[markhb]

Great map you found! I'm glad to see the theater is still there. I also find it interesting that this version has no traffic connection between the cancer center and the rest of the campus.

 

[nomc]

Great map you found! I'm glad to see the theater is still there. I also find it interesting that this version has no traffic connection between the cancer center and the rest of the campus.

I think there is its just mostly obscured by the trees.

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

Below are numerous screen shots from tonight's Planning Board workshop. The map I posted above from their website and brochure is not correct. This map below that Cosakita18 posted back in September appears more accurate now.

 

[NR2Portland]

Below are numerous screen shots from tonight's Planning Board workshop. The map I posted above from their website and brochure is not correct. This map below that Cosakita18 posted back in September appears more accurate now.

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Thank for all the content Dr. StrangeHat! I was going to comment about the proposed hotel tower next to the convention center not being there in the first photo but I see that it is included in this more accurate map sent after the meeting. This is a good sign for the future of Rock Row

 

[markhb]

Yes, thanks very much!

 

[Dr. StrangeHat]

Thank for all the content Dr. StrangeHat! I was going to comment about the proposed hotel tower next to the convention center not being there in the first photo but I see that it is included in this more accurate map sent after the meeting. This is a good sign for the future of Rock Row

Yup, this updated map shows the convention center/amphitheater and adjacent hotel are clearly in the works for the next phase. It was also mentioned during the meeting that the development team and city are in active negotiations with Portland Terminal Company and CSX over use of the rail corridor, primarily with adding a bike trail adjacent to the rail but also still very much considering a light rail link between Westbrook and Portland, with the convention center/amphitheater presumably being the primary driver for that.

 

[DanielPWM19]

Can anyone clarify the phases? I think they changed at some point where the Cancer Center was Phase 4, but is happening now. Phase 2 was development behind Market Basket, etc etc