Occupy Your Opinion?

While those opposed to the development of Congress Square have succeeded so far in putting off the City's approval of Eastland's proposal, some of the opponents don't want to let you read articles supporting development. Daily Sun:

most of the Aug. 22 issues of "Vex" magazine were suspiciously removed from stands or vandalized, according to Mort Todd, the magazine's publisher. Todd said the article advocating for the square's redevelopment was what led to the magazine's theft, vandalism and redistribution because someone failed to agree with an opposing view on what should happen to the failed public space.... Todd said he thinks that his publication was victimized by members of the Occupy Maine movement who didn't agree with the article's view on Congress Square Park. The Portland-based Occupy group has advocated for the preservation of Congress Square as a public space.

Eastland's Plans for Congress Sq Rejected

The new owners of the Eastland Park Hotel planned development on Congress Square has been rejected. It looks like the company will need to come back with a plan that does not take up the entire footprint of the park, or perhaps turn it into a private park that is open to the public (as Andy Graham suggests).  Hopefully the company can come up with a more creative plan, as public funding to redevelop the park is unlikely.  

PressHerald: "The Congress Square Redesign Study Group, which was formed in 2008 to look for ways to improve the park as a public space, was reconvened last year when Rockbridge Capital proposed the new ballroom. On Aug. 1, the group voted 7-2, with two members abstaining, to reject the proposal and focus efforts on redesigning the park. After that vote, Rockbridge asked the city for time to come up with a new proposal. The Housing and Community Development Committee agreed Wednesday."

Eastland's Plans for Congress Square

As someone who looks over the "park" everyday, it is little more than a place where people drink, piss and fight. Unless someone else comes in with a few million dollars to change it into a better designed park, then the hotel should be able to use it.
PressHerald:

The owners of the Eastland Park Hotel are asking the city for permission to build a ballroom on Congress Square Plaza as part of a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion of the 85-year-old hotel.
The ballroom would take up nearly all of the public park. Advocates for the homeless and many residents of the neighborhood said the city should improve the park rather than sell it to developers.
The city established Congress Square Plaza in 1981, after a Dunkin' Donuts shop at the site was torn down. The plaza has never been popular. In his blog about architecture and town planning, Portland architect Michael Belleau describes the plaza as a "sunken, empty, tar-covered space often filled with vagrants."

Quimby Bails on Portland

"After merging her Portland-based artists' colony project with the Maine College of Art last month, Roxanne Quimby is now selling 769 Congress St., the brownstone where the artists' residency program operated for less than two years. It will be the third building in Portland's arts district that the co-founder of Burt's Bees has bought and sold related to her idea for an artists' colony. The 8,000-square-foot building, which she has restored and renovated, is on the market for $1,295,000."

- PressHerald

Urban Outfitters Coming

In the seemingly forever "soon to be opening" space at 188 Middle St., it appears Urban Outfitters is moving in.   They will be taking up 9,945 sq. ft. of prime Old Port space.

http://www.portlandmaine.gov/planning/hpmemo188middlestreet.pdf

I think of them as selling cheap, mass-produced junk.  Anyone see them differently?

Quimby's Crackhouse

The Bollard reports on the sad state of 660 Congress Street thanks to Roxanne Quimby. Apparently she could not get the windows she wanted, so instead of a restored treasure of a building, we now have a boarded up nightmare.

"According to Quimby, the sticking point was the plate-glass showroom windows she wanted for the first-floor gallery. The existing bay windows were refurbished in the early 1900s; there’s nothing Queen Anne about them. But Quimby said the board deemed their preservation necessary because they originated during an “era of significance.”

“It was very disturbing to me,” Quimby said. “I didn’t want to spend all this time and money and not get a design that reflects what the building is supposed to be used for. I didn’t know where to go from there. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. That’s why it’s still sitting there.”
...
Quimby said she’s been unable to find a buyer for the property who’s willing to tackle the high renovation costs and strict historic preservation standards. But she hasn’t completely abandoned it, either.

Last December, Quimby announced that she is hiring former Portland Museum of Art director Dan O’Leary to run the Quimby Colony and two of her charitable foundations. O’Leary has overseen major renovations of historic properties in the past. Quimby said his experience and recommendations will help her decide how to move forward with this dump in the coming months."

Waterfront zoning changes approved

Long sought after changes to the piers will allow more non-marine uses. Press Herald:

"The zoning adopted by the City Council this week will relax restrictions in the central waterfront zone. Pier owners negotiated the changes with fishermen over several months. The proposal was reviewed by the Planning Board and the council's Community Development Committee.

Steve DiMillo, whose family owns Long Wharf, said the changes will give pier owners more income to pay for expensive maintenance and dredging because non-marine tenants pay higher rents.

'Our goal was to allow property owners to see increased rents for their property, which will allow us to keep up with our infrastructure,' DiMillo said."

New Red Claws Arena?

With the Red Claws selling out every home game, it appears they have already outgrown the Portland Expo.  Speculation is that they have plans to build on Thompson's Point.

The Forecaster:  "Maine Red Claws President Jon Jennings, meanwhile, would neither confirm nor deny persistent rumors that the NBA D-League team is interested in the property for construction of a new arena.

'I have no comment on that, as of now,' Jennings said last week.

Jennings said the team is seeing even greater demand for tickets this year than it did in its debut season a year ago, including a 'dramatic increase' in group ticket sales. The Red Claws sold out all 24 home games last year."

Skatepark to Open 11/20

The new skatepark at Dougherty Field on St. James St. opens next Saturday.

City of Portland: "Constructed by Hardcore Shotcrete Skateparks Inc., the skatepark includes a number of features for both boarders and bikers at all skill levels, such as a skateable bench, a transfer gap, A-frame pyramid, a skate dish, hubba ledges, steps, rails, rollers, euro gap, radial ledges and a quarter pipe. The skatepark was designed to allow for seamless flow from one section to another.

The $325,000 Potrland Skatepark was funded by a combination of public and private dollars, and demonstrates the breadth of community support for the project. Donations varied from land and Capital Improvement Funds provided by the City of Portland, grants from the Beth Quimby Foundation, the Ollie Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, the In-Body Foundation, Mensk Foundation, fundraisers held by Hall Elementary School, South Portland Memorial Middle and High Schools, Flatbread, bottle drives ,and the “Buy-A-Brick” program, which allowed supporters to purchase an inscribed brick that will be used for the construction of the entrance pathway to the park."

WHEN: Saturday, November 20, 2010 (Rain date – Sunday, November 21, 2010)
10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

WHERE: Portland Skatepark
Dougherty Field, St. James Street

Franklin Street Planning Meeting - 7/28

The public is invited to attend an informational meeting to discuss the next steps for the Franklin Street corridor process and improvements to 1-295 Exit 7 – to ensure that a bicycle/pedestrian connection at Marginal Way to the Back Cove is created safely. The public meeting is set for this Wednesday, July 28th at East End Community School, 195 North Street on the Hill.* The event is hosted by the City of Portland, Maine Department of Transportation and the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System. (MDOT & PACTS) - Munjoy Hill News

* The Wednesday, July 28 meeting is in two parts:
5:30 pm – 6:45 pm Franklin Street Feasibility Study Discussion, and,
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm 1-295 Exit 7 Discussion.

$2.7 Million Not Enough for Waterfront Maine

As part of the $2.7 million tax break the City is willing to give Waterfront Maine for its planned redevelopment of the Cumberland Storage building Councilor Anton is requiring that the building's zoning restrictions remain for as long as the tax break. A seemingly fair provision considering, the $2.7 MILLION break (about a 50% cut), and the fact that there will not likely be any substantial changes to the waterfront zoning. But when they heard about it later (they could not be bothered to actually attend the meeting that granted them the $2.7 MILLION break), they balked.

Not surprisingly, Councilor Leeman is backtracking, and will support Waterfront Maine's position.

Portland Press Herald:

At its meeting last month, the Community Development Committee voted unanimously to recommend the tax break for Waterfront Maine. But it added one condition -- that the ground floor and berthing area be reserved for commercial marine use for the 20-year term of the tax break.

Councilor John Anton, who proposed the condition, said the tax break is justified in part because the current zoning diminishes the site's revenue potential.

"I am confident supporting a subsidy to offset the burden of the restrictions," he said.

But when Waterfront Maine officials, who did not attend the meeting, heard about the condition, they told city officials that they would cancel the project unless the condition is removed.
...
Pierce Atwood, which has nothing to gain financially from future zoning changes, has not taken a position on the issue. However, the law firm has threatened to leave the city if the project doesn't move forward.

What to do with Congress Square?

Congress Square, at the corner of Congress and High St., largely fails as a park. Apart from vagrants who find it a convenient place to drink and fight, not much goes on there. Tomorrow night there will be a forum to discuss options for its future (May 12 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Eastland Park Hotel, 157 High St.)  The Forecaster:

"There are a number of things that can be done with that area," said Penny Littell, the city's director of Planning and Urban Development. "We can redesign it with a building or a park."

While Littell cautioned that a decision about the park is far from being made, one option is to sell part or all of the property, which totals about a third of an acre.

Until the 1940s, residential buildings with storefronts filled the space. Those buildings were cleared and replaced with a commercial block that for a time was occupied by a Walgreens pharmacy and later a Dunkin' Donuts shop.

In 1979, the Dunkin' Donuts building was demolished the city took ownership of the parcel, and turned it into the park that exists today.

Pierce Atwood Looking at Commercial St. Building

Apparently the law firm Pierce Atwood, who is currently at One Monument Square, is considering moving into the large brick building at 258 Commercial St.  The building would need to essentially be rebuilt to accommodate offices, and the first floor would still need to be reserved for marine uses.  Considering the building is a huge eyesore on the waterfront (though popular for photographers*), this would be a positive development.  Portland Press Herald:

O'Connor declined to name any locations, but confirmed that the law firm is considering moving to 258 Commercial St., a five-story brick building next to the Portland Fish Exchange. Except for a few small tenants, the building is now occupied only by Cumberland Self Storage

* the photo that is the backdrop to this blog's title is of the building

Waterfront Forums

The Planning Board will be hosting two forums next month on the issues facing the working waterfront. 

The Changing Waterfront: Economic Conditions for the Central Waterfront – Ground Fishery, Lobster Fishery, and Marine Tourism
March 2, 2010; 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall, Myrtle Street entrance

Private Piers, Public Policy, and the Future of the Portland’s Central Waterfront
March 3, 2010; 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall, Myrtle Street entrance

The first forum, The Changing Waterfront: Economic Conditions for the Central Waterfront – Ground Fishery, Lobster Fishery and Marine Tourism, will explore the economic challenges and opportunities facing three key components of the marine industries that current policies are designed to protect. Panelists include Deirdre Gilbert, Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources, Burt Jongerden, General Manager of the Portland Fish Exchange, Barbara Whitten, Executive Director of the Greater Portland Convention and Visitor Bureau, commercial lobsterman and “Lucky Catch” tours owner Tom Martin, and Don Perkins, President of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. The forum will also provide an opportunity for the panelists, Planning Board and public to discuss how changes to current policies may impact identified marine industries.


The next day, a second public forum, Private Piers, Public Policy, and the Future of Portland’s Central Waterfront, will outline potential changes to Portland’s waterfront, and seek public input on the future of the zone. Participants will be broken into small groups to discuss a number of questions including: Have current policies helped or hindered economic vitality for the area? How would significant non-marine development in the Central Waterfront impact the city as a whole? What elements should be preserved and what elements can be improved for the Central Waterfront zone?

East Bayside to Get Redesign Assistance

The American Institute of Architects will offer assistance on redevloping East Bayside. The Forecaster:

"A group of architects and urban planners this spring will work on a plan to make East Bayside a more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly and connected neighborhood.

The neighborhood was chosen by the AIA as one of seven communities in the United States that will receive technical assistance to help turn it into a sustainable urban area.

The Sustainable Design Assessment Team program focuses on transportation, economic and environmental issues and will work with local officials and neighborhood members to come up with a plan to improve East Bayside."

FEMA to Cause Unnatural Disaster?

Press Herald:

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency is preparing a new flood insurance rate map for Portland Harbor that would effectively prohibit new construction on all the city's private and public piers and also limit the reconstruction of existing buildings.

City officials say the map would devastate the city's working waterfront and kill even scaled-down plans to redevelop the Maine State Pier. They are working with Maine's congressional delegation to postpone the release of the new map until they have a chance to challenge the data and methodology."

Press Herald Buildings Sold

That was fast. Can't wait to see what crazy plan Cacoulidis has for them.

"The owners of the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram have finalized their sale of the newspapers' buildings on Congress Street.

MTM Portland Properties, an affiliate of MaineToday Media Inc., announced last month that it entered into a purchase agreement with developer John Cacoulidis for the newspaper’s main office at 390 Congress St. and its former printing press building at 385 Congress St." - PPH

Going Down

The demolition of buildings behind 645 Congress.

Franklin Arterial History

The Press Herald has some great photos going back to the 1920's showing the street that is now Franklin Arterial. There is also a presentation by Scott Hanson of the City's historic staff that provides a good history of the area.

For more information on the area, and plans to improve it, check out the Franklin Reclamation Authority (which is a citizens group).

There is a meeting this Wednesday on "Rethinking Portland's Gateway."

"In the late 1960s, city officials decided that the best way to revitalize downtown Portland was to make it easier for drivers to get there. So officials demolished a swath of neighborhoods and built a divided highway from Back Cove to the waterfront, creating Franklin Arterial."

Morrill's Corner Project Moving Forward

Stop & Shop and Townhouses apparently to be built after 7 year delay. Portland Press Herald:

The first phase includes a 66,000-square-foot supermarket and 11 upstairs apartments over a retail space near Allen Avenue. The city won't give the supermarket a certificate of occupancy until the developer starts building the 18 to 24 townhouses that are supposed to be constructed in phase two of the project, according to the approved site plan.
In addition, Stop & Shop has agreed to make a variety of street improvements to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety at the intersection of Forest and Allen avenues. Plans include widening travel lanes and sidewalks, improving traffic lights and train-crossing controls, and moving the entrance to a nearby apartment complex."

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