Portland Company Public Hearing

CPB2 image of the Portland Company redevelopment

CPB2 image of the Portland Company redevelopment

  • On Tuesday, December 20th, the Planning Board will hold a public hearing, and subsequent vote, on the Master Development Plan put forth by CPB2 to redevelop the former Portland Company complex on the Eastern Waterfront.

If you want to ensure that buildings in the Portland Company Local Historic District are carefully integrated into redevelopment plans, we need your help! The Planning Board will be voting on the master development plan application on Tuesday, December 20th @ 7PM at City Hall.

What you can do:

  1. E-mail the Planning Board, to let them know that you support Greater Portland Landmarks’ position cdg@portland.gov
  2. Contact Landmarks' Director of Advocacy at jlarry@portlandlandmarks.org
  3. Attend the Planning Board Meeting, Dec 20th at 7PM in City Hall Council Chambers, to voice your support for historic preservation
  4. Share this with anyone who knows these buildings matter!

The Portland Company Historic District recognizes a nationally-significant industrial complex that conveys an important part of Portland’s history.  Therefore, the scale and impact of the redevelopment must be carefully composed to preserve the character of the industrial complex.

Greater Portland Landmarks advocates for the following:

  • Upholding the findings of the Historic Preservation Board
  • Creating new construction in and directly adjacent to the historic district that does not overwhelm, distract or visually compete with the historic buildings.
  • Preserving the character of the industrial complex through scale, massing, materials, and design details while allowing for new construction.
  • Including at least one overhead bridge element that is retained or rebuilt in each alley to preserve the industrial complex’s visual character.
  • Designing additions to the historic buildings that are contextually appropriate to each building.

Landmarks supports the potential relocation of Building 12 and the related amendment of the district boundaries as contemplated in the Master Development Plan.  The relocation will preserve the building’s visual relationship with the other contributing buildings in the historic district, provide it much greater visibility than would be possible in its current location, and create a contiguous historic district boundary. 

Read more about Landmarks' specific comments submitted to the Planning Board 12/15/2016

Read more about the issue and our position.

Join the City of Portland and Friends of Congress Square!

The next public meeting for the Congress Square redesign is this week.  The design team WRT and artist Sarah Sze will present the latest design concepts for the square and public art. The presentation is open to the public and public comment will be taken. The city and the design team want to hear your comments!

Thursday, December 15, 5:30-7:30pm @ Westin Portland Harborview Hotel, Winslow Homer Junior Ballroom  

The City of Portland will also collect feedback online during December and January for those who cannot attend - look for updates on the project webpage: http://www.portlandmaine.gov/1113/Congress-Square-Redesign

Planning staff will also be presenting the latest concepts at public workshops for various boards and committees in January.

Final Public Hearings on the Portland Company Master Development Plan Begin This Week

Image of the Portland Company Historic District by Perkins + Will Global from CPB2

Image of the Portland Company Historic District by Perkins + Will Global from CPB2

The next scheduled public meeting will be the Historic Preservation Board's public hearing on Wednesday, December 7th. The public hearing is scheduled for 7PM in Room 209. Staff Memo for the HP Meeting on 12/07/2016

The final scheduled public hearing will be the Planning Board's meeting December 20, 2016, 7:00 p.m., Council Chambers, City Hall. 

If you are interested the last Planning Board workshop on the project's Architecture and Public Amenities it is available online. There is a brief discussion on the process and what a master development plan is and is not, a presentation by the applicant, public comment,  and a discussion by board members.

 

Portland Company Master Development Plan Workshops Continue

Portland's Planning Board and Historic Preservation Board have been holding workshops this month on CPB2's application for a master development plan at 58 Fore Street, the former Portland Company site. A final workshop on the project's public amenities and architecture will be held tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 in City Council Chambers.

The Historic Preservation Board will hold its public hearing on the proposed plan on December 7th and the Planning Board will hold its public hearing on the plan on December 20th.  More information on times and locations tbd.

At the request of board members, CPB2 has provided additional images of the proposed development. 

10 Things You Can Do Over the Weekend to Make Your Old House More Efficient

10 Things You Can Do Over the Weekend to Make Your Old House More Efficient

Back when your drafty old place was built, believe me they had energy efficiency in mind.  Buildings were oriented so main living areas could take advantage of heat from solar gain, sturdy evergreen trees were planted to block the winter winds and deciduous trees to shade the summer heat, chimney were contructed strageically to take full advantage of the radiant heat from warm masonry and the fire, and they would never have gone to bed without taking the basic step of closing the curtains.  Resources were precious.

10 Things You Can Do Over The Weekend to Make Your Old House More Efficient


(efficiency=warmer home +more money in your pocket
+ good for the environment)

1.       Install (or begin won the north or draftiest areas) good...

Mark your calendars!

 

The next public meeting for the Congress Square redesign is a month away.  The design team WRT and artist Sarah Sze will present the latest design concepts for the square and public art. The presentation is open to the public and public comment will be taken. The city and the design team want to hear your feedback!

Thursday, December 15, 5:30-7:30pm @ Westin Portland Harborview Hotel, Longfellow Room

The City of Portland will also collect feedback online during December and January for those who cannot attend - look for updates on the project webpage: http://www.portlandmaine.gov/1113/Congress-Square-Redesign

Planning staff will also be presenting the latest concepts at public workshops for various boards and committees in January.

 

Portland's Comprehensive Plan: Help Shape a Vision for Portland's Future

On November 12th the City of Portland will hold a public forum on its ongoing Comprehensive Planning. The Comprehensive Plan is a long-range policy document that establishes a vision for the city for the coming decade. It addresses such topics as historic resources, housing, transportation, natural resources, open space, the economy, and more. The City of Portland's Planning Division invites you to come hear preliminary goals and recommendations of the plan and to tell them what you think. 

2:00PM Saturday, November 12, 2016

Rines Auditorium, Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Way

For more information contact Christine Grimando, Senior Planner cdg@portlandmaine.gov 207-874-8608

 

 

#doorsofgreaterportland

#doorsofgreaterportland

With this in mind we ask our Instagram followers to show us the character of Greater Portland via its doorways in our first Instagram contest.  Doorways that catch your eye from a distance, up-close door details and craftsmanship, decorated doors, barn doors, modest and grand doors- we want to see them all.

*Make sure to Like your favorite entries and tell your friends to like yours.  There is a prize for most likes!*

Read the blog to learn all the rules and guidelines. 

12 Things We Can't Wait to Do this Fall

12 Things We Can't Wait to Do this Fall

1)Poetry is a good fright.

From Friday, October 21 – Monday, October 31, the Longfellow House hosts a haunted house.  They even have two levels of spooky. Based on Longfellow's poem, "Haunted Houses" the event evokes the various family members that died in the Wadsworth-Longfellow House over its long history. Two tours will be offered this year; one for families and one for adults. Treats and drinks will be served. For more information, tour times, and tickets go here. 

2)Gardens have their own historic timeline.  Where does yours fit in?

The First Lecture in the Greater Portland Landmarks Lecture series is History in Your Own Backyard: The cultural landscape seen every day and the evolving changes in garden design. The talk will be given by award winning Historic Landscape Specialist, Lucinda Brockway. October 25, 6-7 pm, Rines Auditorium, Portland Public Library, 5 Monument Square. This lecture is free and open to the public. A $10 donation is suggested and appreciated.  For more information about the event click here. Looking forward to the lecture?  Read the cover article from the last observer on our blog. 

3)Don’t let the government scare you…
or on second thought, do just that!