Greg Mitchell, Director, Economic Development Office, for the City of Portland.

By Carol McCracken  (Post # 1,503)

A City Committee voted early this evening to forward a proposed sales agreement to the City Council with its recommendation for approval.  The proposed agreement is between Portland and Rockbridge Capital, the investment company that has purchased the former Eastland Hotel and is converting it into the Westin Hotel. The vote was 3 – 1 with City Councilor Kevin Donoghue, District 1,  as the sole dissenting vote.  The matter will be taken up at the September 9th meeting with public testimony to be taken.

Although opponents testifyng in support of the proposed contract significantly outnumbered those in support of the contract, members of the Housing & Community Development Committee cast it’s vote independent of those opponents of the proposed contract.

Following the meeting, Frank Turek, leader of the opponents said that an attorney, Rob Levin, had been hired to assist the group in obtaining its legal non-profit tax status. “If there is anything further that we can do, we’ll do it,” Turek said.

For more information, please see Post # 1,498, dated 8/16/13, herein.