One Small Section of the Massive Tavata, a 326 Unit Apartment Building at 165 Washington Avenue That Has Caused Monumental Traffic Jams and Angered Small Businesses in the Area.  It’s Developer is the Wealthy Redfern Properties, Managed by Jonathan (Slick) Culley.

This Site at165 Washington Avenue is  the Location for the New High Rise Apartment on Which Construction Started in Mid-June of 2026 After a Delay Due to Trump’s Unpredictable Tariff’s, Etc..  Asbestos Had to be Removed from the Building Just Prior to its Demolition. The Building Will Have Only 11 Parking Spaces With over 100 Bike Racks – GREAT TRANSPORTATION  for Use in Maine’s Cold, Snowy  Winters.

Parking along Washington Avenue has become increasingly difficult in recent years because of the popularity of the area; restaurants, bars, renters and small businesses have profilerated in the area.  In many cases, lower rents are the reason for otherwise  start-ups..  Lower rents than are available to businesses on Exchange Street – a street that went from start-ups trying to get a foot in the door to corporate owned businesses.  One example: Madewell on Market Street whose parent company is J. Crew.  Make no mistake – parking on Exchange Street area is a sometimes, keep your fingers crossed, trip.

But as of mid-June 2026 when the construction of Tavata, a massive, seven story apartment building began,  traffic has become  snarled and down to one lane only during the week. Worse than that  small businesses in the area have lost their parking spaces for customers to THE major development company in Portland; Redfern Properties.

For Evergreen Cannabis Co., 178 Washington Avenue, Andy Pettingill, its owner said his business is down by 50%.  He has lost the parking spaces previously located in front of his business.  That has happened and the use of those parking spaces is now used by flaggers for the snarled traffic, construction workers on the Travata project are using them and corporate officials with the development company, Redfern Properites,  are using them.  “We had our slowest day in six years on July 22, 2026,” said Mr. Pettingill late last week.  “We are at a disadvantage because our rent is $6,500. a month.  By the way, the shaking from the drilling for the pilings has put a big crack in our wall,” he said.  “Maybe Mr. Culley would like to make up the diffrence in our lost revenue for our rent when this is over.”  Evergreen Cannabis  Company is open seven days a week from 10:00 am to  10:00 pm.

Next door at the Loring Am Vet Post # 25 Commander Terry McGuinness, said that business there is down 50% as well.  There is no place for his patrons to park. Many of the Posts members are seniors who can’t walk far or are disabled – complicating the situation. “Because of the downturn in business, we can barely make payroll,” he said late last week in a telephone conversation.  The valuable property with a panoramic view of the Portland waterfront is once again on the market.  “We’ve had some offers but they were too low bar for this location.”

Prior to these telephone interviews, an apartment complex in the area held a meeting with Jonathan (Slick) Culley, managing partner for Redfern Properties last week.  The meeting was called because residents of the building were unnerved and some scared by the shaking of the building from the drilling for the pilings. The loud noise accompanying the drilling was unnerving especially for those who already had health problems.  “He treated us like we were too dumb to understand what was going on,” said one of the building residents who attended the popular meetng.  A second building resident said:   “Mr. Culley seemed annoyed with us.” A third resident of the building who formerly lived in a pro- earth quake area of California asked Mr. Culley if this serious shaking would affect the apartment buildng’s foundation.  “I never received an answer to that question,” she said.

Prior to the meeting at this nearby complex, Mr. Culley emailed this blogger that he would try to be “patient” with this group of seniors, Maybe he really meant “patronizing” rather than patient.

Redfern Properties is the developer of many high end residences, including, but not limited to:  Munjoy Heights, West End Place, The Hiawatha, The Casco, Etc.

Isn’t there a better way to handle this planning board?  Several inquiries to the city’s spokeswoman for how many complaints the city has received about the noise and traffic issues on this project have gone unanswered by her; Jessica Grondin.

For background information on this Redfern Properties development, please read post herein dated May 21, 2026.  For information on the parking issue for Loring Am Vets Post $ 25, please visit post herein dated October 8, 2024.