USM | Portland

[nomc]

More renderings at the links below - there are some really nice looking spaces inside the Career & Student Success Center. Bad name though.

Portland Commons Residence Hall
Career & Student Success Center

 

[Portlander]

The video of the Career and Student Success Center is impressive. Agree with the overdone name, just simply call it the USM Student Center!

 

[Corey]

View attachment 10588
Approved today by University trustees per PPH article.

I think this looks great. I love the inclusion of a winter rendering since that's generally how it looks through a lot of the academic year.

It will be interesting to see how the Portland campus develops with students living on campus in the future. Seems like the increased student population could drive some further retail/dining/business development in this part of town and increase investment in mass transit, pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure. I recall walking from downtown to the campus for classes several years ago and having to dodge cars on the on-ramps and exit-ramps from the highway being quite unpleasant, especially at night.

On an unrealistic, note, imagine if the USM campus were connected to Deering Oaks over a buried I-295, something like this perhaps.

 

[TC_zoid]

I think this looks great. I love the inclusion of a winter rendering since that's generally how it looks through a lot of the academic year.

It will be interesting to see how the Portland campus develops with students living on campus in the future. Seems like the increased student population could drive some further retail/dining/business development in this part of town and increase investment in mass transit, pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure. I recall walking from downtown to the campus for classes several years ago and having to dodge cars on the on-ramps and exit-ramps from the highway being quite unpleasant, especially at night.

On an unrealistic, note, imagine if the USM campus were connected to Deering Oaks over a buried I-295, something like this perhaps.

View attachment 10685

Agreed. I think even a wide pedestrian bridge heading down to Fitzpatrick Stadium (with partial covering for weather) with places to stop and socialize would give the school more energy. As it is now, there are no athletics at the Portland campus, unless one counts Sullivan Gymnasium. I'd like to see the Portland campus double or even triple in size, and so the Gorham one could be separated, and perhaps even sold to become a private University, etc. Portland is where college students want to be. Can you blame them?

 

[cneal]

Demolition has started:

 

[TC_zoid]

Construction webcams.
https://app.oxblue.com/open/capstone/usm

 

[Cosakita18]

Maine Law is moving ahead with plans to temporarily relocate to 300 Fore Street...sharing the building with CIEE.
I think this is a great move, even if it's temporary. It's great to see downtown attracting more academic space.

In the meantime, the current Maine Law building, which is in poor condition, will be demolished.

Maine Law's temporary move clears hurdle as dean touts grad school collaboration

A plan to move the University of Maine School of Law to temporary digs in downtown Portland got a green light Wednesday from a key committee before moving to a full vote by the UMaine System Board of Trustees on May 24.

www.mainebiz.biz

 

[TC_zoid]

Great news. I'll bet it's one of the reasons why Danielle Conaway left. They had a great Dean and Professor in her, and now she's running the law program at Penn State. If Maine Law's lone building is considered to be one of the worst in the nation, then how do you attract better students and teachers? You don't. Roux Institute got it right with their temporary location (the new WEX addition) at the East End waterfront. If I were making the decisions here, I would have the new law building built across the street (campus side), with an enclosed walkway connecting a parking garage to the old site. And the new rotary will make for an interesting visual when walking across, above. I hope they don't put a confusing sculpture in the middle of that. An elaborate fountain with accent lighting is best. People love that.

 

[Portlander]

I always thought that the county owned property beside the courthouse on Federal Street would be a great location for Maine Law. Joe Bolous was going to build a 12 story courthouse annex/office building on that site back in the 90's. Being next door to the County courthouse, a block away from the Federal courthouse and within walking distance of all of Maine's most prestigious law firms would be an asset for students and an great draw for recruitment. In addition, it would bring some vitality to Lincoln Park during the fall and spring semesters.

 

[markhb]

I had friends going to USM in the 90's who said the law students of the time were quite proud of that building (although my friends tended to liken it to a can of shaving cream). Personally, I've liked it since I was a little kid, just because it was one of the few buildings in the area that was "very different".

 

[TC_zoid]

I always thought that the county owned property beside the courthouse on Federal Street would be a great location for Maine Law. Joe Bolous was going to build a 12 story courthouse annex/office building on that site back in the 90's. Being next door to the County courthouse, a block away from the Federal courthouse and within walking distance of all of Maine's most prestigious law firms would be an asset for students and an great draw for recruitment. In addition, it would bring some vitality to Lincoln Park during the fall and spring semesters.

Those are all good points. But at the USM campus, it would be access to an athletic facility (Sullivan Gym) and the new cafeteria and pub at the new student center (oh, sorry, "career and student success center"). Also, maybe some housing if any dorm rooms or apartments are available. However, near the courthouse, perhaps if the penthouse suite at Verdante doesn't get sold, they could sub-divide it into an 8 student apartment. That would be a sweet suite. The views and brew drinking on the deck would be epic. No problems signing up a top candidate after that campus tour. And Eventide would be steps away. Not a bad spot to hang and discuss the day's learning.

 

[Urban World]

I always thought that the county owned property beside the courthouse on Federal Street would be a great location for Maine Law. Joe Bolous was going to build a 12 story courthouse annex/office building on that site back in the 90's. Being next door to the County courthouse, a block away from the Federal courthouse and within walking distance of all of Maine's most prestigious law firms would be an asset for students and an great draw for recruitment. In addition, it would bring some vitality to Lincoln Park during the fall and spring semesters.

I agree ... however, I am confused ... are you referring to the Boulos proposal to build a 15-story tower on that site in 2007, or was there an earlier project too that I'm unaware of for the same site? I recall Boulos proposed the 17 story Top of the Old Port project in 2004, and then in 2005 in basically was nixed due to the failure to support a 1% meals and lodging tax for the arena portion of it, which was followed by a renewed proposal of a small scale for what I believe is the site you're referring to in 2007 ish.

 

[Urban World]

Maine Law is moving ahead with plans to temporarily relocate to 300 Fore Street...sharing the building with CIEE.
I think this is a great move, even if it's temporary. It's great to see downtown attracting more academic space.

In the meantime, the current Maine Law building, which is in poor condition, will be demolished.

Maine Law's temporary move clears hurdle as dean touts grad school collaboration

A plan to move the University of Maine School of Law to temporary digs in downtown Portland got a green light Wednesday from a key committee before moving to a full vote by the UMaine System Board of Trustees on May 24.

www.mainebiz.biz

When the new postal facility was constructed in Scarborough a decade or more ago I thought it would have been a good move to vacate the in-town location and place the law school there. It already has the look of a higher education facility, I think. Will be interesting to see what they come up with. At one point I thought they were looking at the site next to City Hall. I know they were looking at West Commercial Street too but that was more than a decade ago.

 

[Portlander]

You are correct, the Bolous project next to the courthouse was proposed around 2007. It was proposed as a 12 level structure with the first five being for parking and the estimated height was going to be in the 160' range. Sorry about the wrong year!

 

[markhb]

You are correct, the Bolous project next to the courthouse was proposed around 2007. It was proposed as a 12 level structure with the first five being for parking and the estimated height was going to be in the 160' range. Sorry about the wrong year!

Wasn't there an earlier project proposed there, though, way back before the courthouse expansion and perhaps before (or around the time) the jail moved?

 

[Corey]

USM Construction of new Center by Corey Templeton, on Flickr

USM Construction of new Center by Corey Templeton, on Flickr

 

[nomc]

And the new rotary will make for an interesting visual when walking across, above. I hope they don't put a confusing sculpture in the middle of that. An elaborate fountain with accent lighting is best. People love that.

This is roughed in - alas no fountain. Looking forward to not avoiding this intersection!

 

[Portlander]

Renderings of new art gallery and recital hall boosted by a $5M donation from the Crewe Foundation. Will be built on the common area between Bedford and Falmouth Streets.

 

[mainejeff]

I'd like to see darker colors on the exterior.....but I love the shape.

 

[TC_zoid]

This is another detail lacking arch design in which you really only know what its going to look like after it's up. I like its form, but as we know, the final materials can dramatically improve or ruin a building. But beggars can't be choosy, I guess. Love what's going on at this campus. It's about time. The Portland campus is the future of USM--period. But for crucial supportive revenue a college needs competitive sports programs. I don't think student musical recitals will bring in anything substantial, or not like a 50 Cent concert would. Sports. Sports is where it's at. A giant, glass, air conditioned, walkway (wide enough for bikes, scooters, and a few kiosks) should be built at the entrance of the garage snaking across the freeway and terminating at Portland Stadium. An entire renovated--and roof retractable--stadium seating up to 35,000 for track and soccer (football is too big a stretch here, plus the field dimensions are limiting for other sports) could be constructed (bear with me naysayers). And, connectors to the ice arena, the baseball stadium, and a somewhat renovated Exposition building. Now, you have a much bigger market for the merchandising, and with the husky dog variation potential, easy, easy sales. USM has a GREAT looking and emotionally evoking mascot. For big hockey games, the team could play at CIA. For big basketball games, it would be CIA and this new facility (Syracuse Univ. does this, way, way, way, way up in the northern no-man's land of New York state). It's not hard. No, it's not (sorry to answer for you). With so many wealthy part-time residents in Maine the money could be found. Except, I admit, we have another problem. But it's easy to fix. Well, somewhat, anyway. Simply change your thinking to "we can" instead of "we can't." The default Maine way is, "It can't be done!... There's no parking!... We don't do that in Maine!" You live by what you believe in. I've seen this type of endeavor completed at colleges in podunk towns across the U.S., so why not here? Think about it. If enough people think that they can do it--as a collective--the resulting energy becomes infectious and quite powerful.