The Casco | 201 Federal Street | Portland

nomc said:
Isn't that what the Portland Beer Hub does? The one next to Rosie's. I've never been in, but it looks like they retail and pour.
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I've never been but the pics look okay, but not great. I think anything downtown in a prominent new building like 201 Federal would have to be stellar, the talk of the town, like Batson River is. An experience.
 
Portland already has half a million breweries and "tasting rooms" and places to buy booze. I would argue that's probably pretty low on the list of the things downtown actually needs.

Downtown urgently needs an actual grocery store that has everyday essentials. I know a full-service grocery store is too big for the space, but I would love to see some kind of "Hannaford Express".

The food Co-Op and Rosemont are great, but they're very expensive and not practical for everyday grocery shopping Plus, the Forest Ave. Hannaford is a bit too far to walk from this location.

If we really want to encourage residents here and in other downtown developments to really live car-free, they need to have easy access to groceries and daily essentials.
 
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@Redfern
The challenge with all of these ideas is the concern of turning it into another Paul's, Joe's Variety, or even the drab CVS. With the proximity to Preble Street, you'd want to be wary of what you choose to put in there.

A Rosemont-esque location could be ideal for a lot of in-town residents and people working during the day that want to grab a sandwich or some other needed item. But these are just quick and non-experiential transactions.

Or - do you want to make it a place to go, hang out, a destination? Kind of like an EVO, Wine Bar, Grace (which I miss), Sushi or Thai infusion, Local 188, etc etc? This way the location is open a little later, lit-up, and safe.

With Merrill Auditorium nearby - and - Portland House of Music just across the street ... it can be a place people go for pre-event tapas, drinks, and so on. It's always nice after a show to get a drink/dessert somewhere too (like in Boston, NYC).
 
As someone who has lived downtown in the past, I was never wanting for restaraunts / bars / shops... but what I did find sorely lacking were practical daily necessities.

We can't encourage people to live downtown and embrace a car-free lifestyle if they can't easily restock on toilet paper or fresh veggies.

Good urbanism requires more than just wine bars and tasting rooms and tapas
 
Cosakita18 said:
As someone who has lived downtown in the past, I was never wanting for restaraunts / bars / shops... but what I did find sorely lacking were practical daily necessities.

We can't encourage people to live downtown and embrace a car-free lifestyle if they can't easily restock on toilet paper or fresh veggies.

Good urbanism requires more than just wine bars and tasting rooms and tapas
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I agree, it would have been nice when I worked at One Portland Square to be able to walk somewhere to grab Tylenol - lol.

Maybe there's room for two vendors? Grocery and Granny's Burritos anyone? :)
 
Cosakita18 said:
As someone who has lived downtown in the past, I was never wanting for restaraunts / bars / shops... but what I did find sorely lacking were practical daily necessities.

We can't encourage people to live downtown and embrace a car-free lifestyle if they can't easily restock on toilet paper or fresh veggies.

Good urbanism requires more than just wine bars and tasting rooms and tapas
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Agreed, though let's put that in something like the Temple Street Parking Garage spaces. The last time Portland was able to feel excitement about a tall building was in 1910, with the Fidelity Trust Building. It's been a long time.
 
Agree. 15 Minute City should be the goal. I know Joe's isn't super exciting aesthetically but it is a local family (the wife literally cooks behind the counter and the kids work the registers) and it's a great spot for basics. NOT saying I've reached out to Discatios...to be clear! But I wouldn't dismiss them as they would 100% be favored over something like Shaws. Bowstreet is on my radar ~ C
 
DanielPWM19 said:
@Redfern
The challenge with all of these ideas is the concern of turning it into another Paul's, Joe's Variety, or even the drab CVS. With the proximity to Preble Street, you'd want to be wary of what you choose to put in there.

A Rosemont-esque location could be ideal for a lot of in-town residents and people working during the day that want to grab a sandwich or some other needed item. But these are just quick and non-experiential transactions.

Or - do you want to make it a place to go, hang out, a destination? Kind of like an EVO, Wine Bar, Grace (which I miss), Sushi or Thai infusion, Local 188, etc etc? This way the location is open a little later, lit-up, and safe.

With Merrill Auditorium nearby - and - Portland House of Music just across the street ... it can be a place people go for pre-event tapas, drinks, and so on. It's always nice after a show to get a drink/dessert somewhere too (like in Boston, NYC).
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A REAL Jewish Deli would clean up in that location.
 
PlantArch said:
A REAL Jewish Deli would clean up in that location.
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That would be awesome, but running a mom-and-pop sandwich shop now is challenging if you are getting your meat from an actual certified kosher deli supplier. I know they are not from Maine, but Common Man has a decent product and is expanding, not sure if they have plans to enter the pine tree state. I was thinking of pizza, maybe another Slab or a similar Maine pizza establishment?
 
Jobsite photo: ~ C
F0001252-BE34-43D6-97FD-D6ACC1B3234A.jpeg
 
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