Blocks 4 and 6 in the Above Drawing Were the Subjects of a City Required Meeting This Evening. Block 4 is in Blue and Block 6 is in Red.
Long-time Critics of the Redevelopment Ned Chester with His Wife Barbara Vestal Attended the Meeting. The Couple was Also Bitterly Opposed to the Maine Narrow Gauge Museum & Railroad When it Arrived on Munjoy Hill Back in the Early 90s From the Edaville Raailroad, in South Carver, Massachusetts.
Long-time Critic of the Redeelopment of 58 Fore Street Attending the Meeting. was Attorney Peter Murray. He Once Called for a Real Developer Rather than a Wanna’ Be Developer for the 58 Fore Street Property.
David Senus, an Engineer at Portland Foreside Development, with Darin Stairs, also an Engineer af Woodard & Curran Facilitated the Meeting.
A Rendering of Block 6 Condominium Units, Since Updated Slightly.
A rendering of Block 4 Apartments Which Have Been Updated Since This Was Released.
Blocks 4 and 6 of the Portland Foreside Development at 58 Fore Street on Munjoy Hill were the focus of a city required informational meeting held at the East End Community School cafeteria this evening. About fifty people attended the meeting loaded with a variety of questions – not all about the two residential blocks that were the focus of the second of two meetings – duplicates of each other. – the first held last month.
David Senus, Director of Planning and Design for the Development company gave a brief history of the project. The almost ten acres of valuable waterfront property on Munjoy Hill was purcased in 2013 from Phin Sprague, Jr., on the site of the former Portland Company complex and on which Sprague had run Portland Yacht Services for many years. Sprague is a wealthy resident of Cape Elizabeth. Phase 1 of the property development by Portland Foreside has been completed; that included the construction of the SunLife Insurance Company headquarters and the up and running, award winning TWELVE restaurant close to the waterfront.
Block 4 (in blue in the above drawing) will be coposed of 225 apartaments and 22 townhouses. They will be mostly studio and one bedroom apartaments. Perkins & Will, Boston, is the architect for Block 4. Block 6 will be composed of 154 condominiums. The architect is Baskervill, of Richmond, Virginia. Construction of this Phase of the development is expected to begin this June 2023 and could last until 2026.
When asked by a member of the public if solar energy was being considered, Senus, responded that talks were undergoing with Revision Energy toward that goal. No specifics are available at this time, however.
Peter Murray, a long-time critic of the redevelopment of 58 Fore Street, tried to muddy the waters by claiming that the developers were responsible for burying the overhead power lines on Fore Street for this development. That is not correct responded Senus.. CMP owns the poles and has not agreed to bury the overhead power lines.
Another long-time critic of the redevelopment of 58 Fore Street Ned Chester said this development did not sound particularly family or child friendly. Mary McCrane, a staff member for the developer responded that is not correct. She is the mother of three children and responded that the redevelopment is “very family focused. We are planning on having something for everyone.”
The meeting was scheduled to last for one hour – from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. But when this blogger left about 7:15 pm., the meeting was still in full bloom.
By the way, when will Planning Board meetings be held in-person again rather than just via zoom?
For background information on TWELVE, the award winning restaurant at Portland Foreside, please visit post herein dated September 19, 2022.