Portland’s Waterfront is a dynamic environment. It is under pressure from increased traffic and a lack of funding for needed infrastructure improvements. Fisherman worry about losing access to berth space and their ability to move product within the waterfront and to markets beyond the city. The conversation about the future of Portland’s waterfront is critical and of a concern to a number of stakeholders. Learn more about the waterfront, the ongoing work of the task force and be sure to make your voice heard!
Book Report: The Past and Future City by Stephanie Meeks
I optimistically checked out a fat stack of preservation-related books at the University of Georgia library and lugged them up to Maine for self-assigned summer reading. The Past and Future City by Stephanie Meeks (Island Press, 2016 link: https://islandpress.org/book/the-past-and-future-city) has been on my list for quite some time. The president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation since 2010, Meeks echoes ideas that are buzzing in the preservation world and support the message of Max Page’s lecture. That preservation is much more than house museums, it’s an evolving field that should play an important role in addressing some of our most hot-button issues such as affordable housing and climate change. To do this, she outlines 10 steps communities can take to harness the power of their existing building stock and protect historic resources. Here are my Cliff Notes:
11 Things to do in Fall 2018
To use a term from Mary Berry of the Great British Bake Off, this fall is cram-jam full with history, architecture, and community events. Organizations all over the region are in a celebratory mood, from our own Preservation Awards, to an architecture-inspired costume party. This fall you can take a musical stroll, have a reason to say “Happy Terrcentential!”, and trick-or-treat at a Portland icon and so much more.
Catching Up with Landmarks' 2018 Graduate Interns
This summer we have the privilege of being joined by four graduate level interns for 10 weeks to survey off-peninsula Portland neighborhoods. They have brought with them their fresh enthusiasm for historic preservation and their knowledge about what is happening in the preservation world from academia to other parts of the country. Our Director of Advocacy, Julie Larry, has been guiding them through the process and will present on their research this summer and fall. The second part of our Deering Highlands research will be presented on August 28. More details below.
I interrupted their research this morning to ask them how their summer is going. Here is what they had to say! - Chloe Martin
11 Things to Do This Summer-2018
Maine Medical Center Proposes New Employee Garage
Maine Medical Center is proposing a new 2,400-car garage to be built off St. John Street.
On Tuesday July 10th Portland's Planning Board will hold a workshop at 4:30 on the new 2,400 car parking garage proposed by Maine Medical Center off St. John Street. The new employee garage will be located behind the Maine Central Railroad Office Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a local landmark. The architect has created a number of images of the proposed building from various vantage points in the city. The new garage will be visible from I-295, St. John Street and the Western Promenade. For more information on the project, visit the city's website.
Construction is everywhere in Portland! Which one will be a Future Landmark?
An aerial image of the developing eastern waterfront prepared by Archetype Architects of Portland for a recent planning board submission to develop the Shipyard Brewery site on Newbury Street.
Portland is experiencing a building boom.While many new buildings are under construction, several more are in the planning stages. New construction is occurring off and on the peninsula, from the West End to Munjoy Hill, from Bayside to North Deering. The India Street neighborhood is the site of many new projects in Portland and the neighborhood experiencing the most change. A new proposal for the Shipyard Brewing site for offices, hotel and residential use is currently under consideration by the Portland Planning Board. Here is an update on some other current projects:
WEX Headquarters, Thames Street
The new WEX Headquarters on Thames Street is quickly taking shape. When finished the four story mixed use building will include 100,000 SF of office space for WEX, a local payment-processing service company. The first floor of the building will have some retail space and the roof will feature a rooftop garden and patio for the company's employees. The building's curtain wall construction takes advantage of the spectacular views from this waterfront site.
20 Thames Street
Just down the street at 20 Thames Street a new residential and retail building is taking shape behind the former Grand Trunk Office Building. The building is part of a campus of new buildings that includes the new AC Hotel, a new office building on Fore Street, and a planned mixed-use building on India Street. 20 Thames Street will include 28 condo units.
Scheduled to open this month is the 150-room AC Hotel by Marriot at the corner of Fore and Hancock Streets. The hotel has frontage on Fore, Hancock and Thames Street, with vehicular access for hotel guests off of Fore Street.
The AC Hotel by Marriot at 158 Fore Street will be opening this month.
The Mason Block, India Street is nearly complete.
cPort Credit Union under construction on Middle Street.
The new Mason Block is nearing construction at 62 India St. Three commercial spaces and parking are located below three levels of residential units. The project provides twenty-nine condominiums on the upper levels, nearly all of which are sold. the building is located in the new India Street Historic District.
Next door to the Mason Block at the corner of India & Middle Street a four-story building is now under construction that will be the new downtown branch for cPort Credit Union. The credit union will occupy the first and second floors, while a 3,000 SF condominium will occupy the upper two floors and the rooftop terrace. This building, like the Mason Block is located in the India Street Historic District.
A new office building is under construction on Widgery Way off Commercial Street.
Further up Munjoy Hill, a new 45-unit condominium building has been proposed at 218-220 Washington Avenue. Meanwhile, smaller scale development on Munjoy Hill continues following the sunset of the demolition moratorium and City Council adoption of the new R6 zoning regulations in early June. Greater Portland Landmarks continues to work with neighbors and the city to protect some historic landmark properties on Munjoy Hill later this year.
On the waterfont, a new office building is under construction near the head of Union and Widgery Wharves. It is the first project to be evaluated under new looser zoning regulations, enacted by the Portland City Council in 2010, that allow new buildings for non-marine uses within 75 feet of Commercial Street. The office building is one of three buildings proposed for the site. Just next door, a developer is pursuing a zoning change with plans for a hotel, parking garage, and restaurant on the site partially occupied by the Portland Lobster Company.
Approved Projects...Not yet under Construction
48 Brown Street - Site work for a new parking garage is getting underway at the corner of Brown Street and Cumberland Avenue.
58 Boyd Street - Portland Housing Authority has plans for 55 new apartments in East Bayside.
75 Chestnut Street - The land and approvals for this 54-unit apartment building, known as Westerlea View Lofts, in West Bayside is currently being marketed for sale.
383 Commercial Street (the former Rufus Deering Site) - The first phase of this retail, residential & hotel development was approved in June. The first phase will include the hotel and half of the retail and residential units proposed for the former lumber yard site. The project includes a new pedestrian way connecting York Street and Commercial Street (image left).
Deering Place is two new apartment buildings proposed by Avesta Housing on Deering, Cumberland and Mellen streets that will add affordable housing in the Parkside neighborhood.
Currently in the Planning Process...
The Transforming Triple-Decker
From factory workers and stenographers to electricians and developers, triple-decker buildings transformed the way working-class families lived in Portland at the turn of the 20th century and beyond.
Now,many of the remaining triple-deckers are being transformed into high-end condiminiums. What is the history of this distinctly urban architecture in Portland?
Munjoy Hill Zoning Changes head to City Council
The Planning Board unanimously approved recommending passage of the revised zoning language for the R6 Zone on Munjoy Hill on Tuesday, May 15th. The City Council is expected to hold a public hearing and vote on the recommended changes on June 4th.
The zoning recommendations reflect months of city and neighborhood conversations about the future of Munjoy Hill. Landmarks believes the package is a good balance between conserving what makes the neighborhood attractive, while allowing new compatible development to occur in this desirable neighborhood.
City staff has recommended moving forward with historic district designations later this year and we are encouraging City Councilors to express their desire to see that process move forward as soon as possible, hopefully with public hearings this fall.
Throughout the moratorium period, Landmarks has met with various stakeholders and the Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization (MHNO). In advance of the planning board public hearing we met with MHNO and the newly formed Munjoy Hill Conservation Collaborative. The three groups found we have major areas of agreement.
Landmarks is asking the City Council:
- to direct city staff to move forward with the historic district designation process
- to support the proposed demolition review ordinance with one minor amendment for clarification purposes that would ensure buildings with significant social or cultural history will be protected by the demolition review process
- to support the proposed dimensional standards with a couple of amendments for clarification purposes that would ensure the R-6 design standards will remain a useful tool for the planning board as they review the scale and massing compatibility of new construction on Munjoy Hill.
Please contact the city council and let them know that you support Landmarks position and the position of our neighborhood allies. Thank you!
Preservation Month 2018
Here are 8 Great ways to celebrate Preservation Month this May!
1
Be your own tour guide through a changing neighborhood.
We uploaded all 4 of the Munjoy Hill walking tours to our website.
A Diverse Neighborhood, Early Settlement and Immigration on Munjoy Hill
The Eastern Promenade Takes Shape: Turn-of-the-Century Development of Munjoy Hill
19th Century Real Estate Development: Moses Gould & Eliphant Clark
Housing Worker for Portland's Growing Waterfront: The St. Lawrence & Munjoy Street Neighborhood
2
Make a Preservation Plan for your older building.
Having an older building can be overwhelming but you don’t have to do everything all at once…