Thompson's Point, Portland

markhb said:
I just hope the downtown museum reopens before this one is finished; I want to see the camera obscura before it's gone (the plans for the new building appear to have a place for it, but there's nothing to look at).
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I read that the museum still has another 2 mill to raise in their 14 mill construction campaign. Perhaps it's not so easy to do now. It looked like this a few weeks ago, or certainly can't see a noticeable difference. (Not to mention that they might be paying current personnel with this.) This look would then remind me of a 17 story hotel outside of Vegas in 2008, which stopped construction soon after its steel went up. I believe it's still like this, a skeletal ghost, reminding all who drive past it on the highway of the 2008 financial crisis misery.
 
TC_zoid said:
I believe it's still like this, a skeletal ghost, reminding all who drive past it on the highway of the 2008 financial crisis misery.
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A similar local example would be the very rough condo skeleton on East Grand Ave. in Old Orchard, which itself stood for years as a monument to the 1987 crash.
 
A level III site plan has been submitted for 11 Thompsons Point Rd, which if I'm not mistaken is the single-story industrial building closest to the railroad (the former suburban propane facility)

No details or renderings available yet, but here's the Self-Service portal submission. Does anyone know anything more about this?

Another interesting sidenote is that the Thompsons Point website no longer displays their master development plan anywhere...not even in the "about" section.

CSS

Citizen Self Service web site
egweb.portlandmaine.gov
 
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Cosakita18 said:
A level III site plan has been submitted for 11 Thompsons Point Rd, which if I'm not mistaken is the single-story industrial building closest to the railroad (the former suburban propane facility)

No details or renderings available yet, but here's the Self-Service portal submission. Does anyone know anything more about this?

Another interesting sidenote is that the Thompsons Point website no longer displays their master development plan anywhere...not even in the "about" section.

CSS

Citizen Self Service web site
egweb.portlandmaine.gov
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If you go some of the other tabs, it shows the after square footage compared to the before on the site.

Looks like nothing major, maybe another floor?
 
One of the museum's complaints concerning their downtown location was the need for visitors to have to pay for parking Monday through Saturday. It's amusing to see the parking kiosk in your photo Corey and it's a reminder that you still have to pay to play even at Thompson's Point! Maybe it's free during daytime hours or the parking fee is included with your admission?
 
Well, it's certainly eye catching. I think parents and kids will love this new facility. Peter Bissell joked that when he looks at it he feels like he's in Amsterdam. Yes, I could see this arch design in Denmark, or any other country in Europe. Although, it's basically a box with unusual wrapping. Is that a windowed crow's nest on the roof? I' would think it has some good transportation visuals on top with planes, trains, cars, and boats (tankers). I do have one concern though. In the summer, when the concerts are back in play, it's a disconnect with children around. I would have preferred the museum next to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. That way, it could have been envisioned larger with an aquarium. I'm assuming they got a deal for the land and so, voila, here it is. It certainly makes for a great visual from 295.
 
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The windowed box on the roof is for the periscopic camera obscura which will afford the children 360 degree views of Thompson's Point. TC, your idea of utilizing Commercial Street would have been an excellent location in my opinion.
 
Portlander said:
The windowed box on the roof is for the periscopic camera obscura which will afford the children 360 degree views of Thompson's Point. TC, your idea of utilizing Commercial Street would have been an excellent location in my opinion.
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I will forever regret that I never got to see that camera obscura downtown. The view from the new location can't be nearly as interesting as the panorama of the city.
 
This has the makings of a really cool area but the unfinished parts really detract from it right now. Love the Children's Museum....definitely an iconic building to pass by on I-295.
 
Does anyone know if down/up lighting was considered for the Children's Museum? Being next to the airport I'm assuming that would limit them - and also cost - but it's just such a shame that building doesn't have LED strips around the perimeter or something to make it look cool at night. The street lights - especially the one near the back - cast some awkward shadows on it and makes the whole area look dead. Welcome to Portland!
 
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Thompsons Point seems to have completed the devolution from "Mixed Use Neighborhood" to "entertainment and lifestyle center"

It seems like they've remoted any mention of their "Master Plan" from their website.
 
Cosakita18 said:
Thompsons Point seems to have completed the devolution from "Mixed Use Neighborhood" to "entertainment and lifestyle center"

It seems like they've remoted any mention of their "Master Plan" from their website.
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I thought I read that Rwanda Bean was stopping retail operations at the TP location and it was going to only be production - I can't find the article now, am I going crazy?? If that's true and with BBB's warehouse it's more like an "entertainment and industrial" district.
 
I think it's a question mark of how well this hotel will do if the concert season is from the beginning of July to September (this year). And in the winter months many visitors want to be downtown to experience the food scene. Bangor's outdoor concert venue is now at 16,000 with its new luxury boxes. They really max that. Do you think that Portland could draw 16,000 for a concert in the summer? With a train and bus line nearby, and a population reach of nearly one million (including So. NH), and Boston's five million at 1.5 to 2.5 hours away, I'd say Portland is falling short in this vein--substantially. A re-envisioned Fitzpatrick is the only real solution for bigger concerts.

From today's PPH...

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image1 (1).jpeg
 
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