Time & Temp Building / Brown St. Parking Garage Redevelopment | Portland

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The less attractive backside of Maine's first two skyscrapers.
 
465 will have the new exterior stairwell. I am wondering if they will introduce windows facing the Library.
 
W-4 said:
I have no idea why they felt compelled to make a sign that wide and only fill one third of it.
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The sign previously said "People's United Bank." I believe it was discussed earlier in this thread that either Maine's billboard law or city sign law forced them to use the existing sign structure when M&T Bank acquired People's United Bank.

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Dr. StrangeHat said:
The sign previously said "People's United Bank." I believe it was discussed earlier in this thread that either Maine's billboard law or city sign law forced them to use the existing sign structure when M&T Bank acquired People's United Bank.

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That's pretty stupid not to allow the signage to become smaller.....only in Maine. Should have been black background with gold/beige lettering to match building color.
 
An update on the project from a recent PPH article

As many of us were probably starting to suspect suspect, the hotel conversion is on hold as the developers deal with surging construction costs and high overhead.

www.pressherald.com

The future of Portland’s Time & Temperature Building is back in limbo

The developers have delayed starting a project to convert the building into a hotel – and are now considering if that's the best course given challenging economic conditions.
www.pressherald.com www.pressherald.com

The article also states that the development team are "reassessing their current position" and considering alternative uses.

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if they switch from hotel to residential use.
 
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Disappointing. It's not going to get any cheaper to renovate as the building continues to deteriorate and construction costs rise. I was skeptical from the beginning on whether these owners had the financial resources to pull this project off but I do give them a lot of credit for trying and am hoping they can still work out the issues. They may have to sell the tower to cut their losses or bring on another developer with the experience and proven track record to get the vision completed which may end up being residential. If the building reaches the point of no return it will end up being demolished or become the tallest eyesore in northern New England for years to come. Maybe Redfern can save this landmark!
 
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A few examples of what can sadly happen when high rises are neglected for years. This was 400 Main in Evansville, IN which was the city's tallest and sat empty for decades. Replaced with a 6 story retail and office plaza.
 
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Genesee Towers in Flint, MI was the tallest building in the city and had to be imploded due to years of abandonment and was too costly to renovate. The lot is currently vacant with potential plans of turning it into a park due to receiving little interest from developers.
 
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Unsurprising, given the total lack of activity on the site the last couple years. I wonder if they ever applied for historic credits through the National Park Service and if so, how that review went? Residential use would seem to make the most sense, but I wonder if the costs to convert it would be astronomical.

I hope the owners of the Fidelity Building across the street are having more luck moving forward with their plans for residential conversion...
 
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Bresee Tower in Danville, IN is slated for demolition due to years of neglect and failed attempts to renovate. It is the city's tallest.
 
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Portlander said:
Genesee Tower in Flint, MI was the tallest building in the city and had to be imploded due to years of abandonment and way too costly to renovate. The lot is currently vacant lot with potential plans of turning it into a park due to little interest from developers.
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Any idea, was that all parking garage on the lower levels (below the break)?
 
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The historic 10 story Amoskeag Bank building in Manchester was successfully renovated into apartments with retail and dining on the ground level a few years ago and is now known as Red Oak at 875 Elm. There is hope and this is exactly how the Fidelity or Chapman Buildings can be transformed. :)
 
Mark, Genesee Towers were considered to be 2 "towers" with 10 floors of office space sitting on top of 7 levels of parking and separated by a two story air gap. The building became a safety hazard with falling concrete. It was poorly designed and maintained and was deemed not worth renovating to exorbitant costs.
 
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Martin Tower (21 stories) was the tallest building in the Allentown-Bethlehem metro area and was imploded in 2019.
 

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Capital Plaza Office Tower in Frankfort, KY was demolished in 2018 and was the tallest building outside of Louisville and Lexington in the state at 28 floors. Frankfort's tallest building is now the State Capitol.
 
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