The space where the arena was to go (between Brick North and the tracks) is now a warehouse for Bissell Brothers Brewing, and years ago the Red Claws paid for the seating upgrades (backrests on the old wooden bleachers, etc.) at the Expo, saying at the time without saying it that they were essentially out of the TP project. I have a hunch that the people who bought the project from the original team never had the money to build the arena and parking garage. A year or so ago I asked the director of NNEPRA if there were still any discussions with TP about the garage (it was also going to be available for train passengers, part of the whole "transit-oriented development" idea), and she hadn't heard anything in ages and they were now focused on moving the station anyway.Have the plans for the arena completely dried up? I would like to see the Celtics/Red Claws stick around. I wonder when the Celtics' parent club bought the Red Claws if their longer term goal was to relocate the team closer to, or in, Boston like other NBA teams have done. Perhaps after the lease at the Expo is over, as I don't see the Expo being an extended option for a team a level below the NBA.
Dumpsters and storage containers that now line a potholed gravel parking lot soon could be replaced by upscale office buildings, a parking garage and maybe a hotel. Rows of tractor-trailers behind a chain-link fence could give way to luxury housing facing the Fore River salt marshes, within walking distance of a new bus and train station....
The out-of-state owner appreciates the importance of the high-profile location, according to Alan Fishman, principal at the Fishman Realty Group in Portland. He wants the property marketed selectively to developers who have a progressive vision of a mixed-use, waterfront neighborhood that will serve as a gateway into the city.
"He's not just going to sell it to any developer," Fishman said. "He wants to see something significant happen that will be good for the area."
Any word on the hotel?I’m hearing that the Thompsons Point team has teamed up with Cathartes Development based in Portsmouth, NH on a 6-story, 250ish unit residential project on the site. They intend to formally submit an application sometime in early July.
The bus station isn’t moving and that is busy with tons of riders from Boston, Central and Coastal Maine — and the rail station moving should mean the bus station wouldn’t need to add more parking to accommodate future growth any time soon, so it is still well-positioned to be a transit-oriented site.NNEPRA is fully focused on moving the station onto the mainline and away from Thomsons Point (which they should be) and that really removes a lot of the potential for Thompsons Point to be a transit-oriented neighborhood.
I also wouldn't be surprised if they've ditched any plans for housing. They've shifted very heavily into being an entertainment venue, and despite all the rhetoric about younger people liking vibrant neighborhoods.... residential and outdoor concert venues don't mix very well in close proximity.
I am at the bus station 4 times a week and they are far beyond capacity at this point. Their lots will be full when Amtrak leaves.The bus station isn’t moving and that is busy with tons of riders from Boston, Central and Coastal Maine — and the rail station moving should mean the bus station wouldn’t need to add more parking to accommodate future growth any time soon, so it is still well-positioned to be a transit-oriented site.
The set of drawings/specs is out for bid to subcontractors.@portlandneedsnewarena , where's this from?
Would they not need a new PB approval or at least a Site Plan amendment? The proposed building looks quite different architecturally from what was approvedThe set of drawings/specs is out for bid to subcontractors.