By Carol McCracken

The City of Portland just announced that it has selected Stantec to provide guidelines for the redevelopment the Amethyst Lot on the Portland waterfront.  The redevelopment of this parcel of land next to SailMaine has reportedly been a priority of city manager Jon Jennings.  $80,000 has been allocated from the city’s budget to conduct design services for the city.

The City issued a RFP for the redesign of the Lot.  The three (3) highest ranking proposals were evaluated on two criteria:  submitted design approach and technical capabilities.   A Selection Committee evaluated the proposals and met with each of the applicants before making it selection.  Members of the Selection Committee were:  Bill Needelman, Sally Deluca, Caitlin Cameron, Ethan Hipple and Aaron Shields.

Interest has been expressed in developing the Lot into a public marina.  Currently, it is used as a parking lot and often overflow for taxis servicing the area.

It is anticipated that negotiations with Stantec for a contract will begin soon.