The Portland Planning Board has unanimously approved plans for a 30-story mixed-use tower at 45 Union Street, clearing a major hurdle for what would become the tallest building in Maine.The nearly 200,000-square-foot project in the Old Port includes 73 residential condominiums, an 88-room hotel, and ground-floor commercial space.As 380 feet, the proposed building has drawn significant public attention, with some residents and business owners expressing enthusiasm about bringing new housing and economic activity to the downtown area. Supporters say the project would transform an underused parcel and strengthen Portland’s urban core.”We think it will bring some new life into the Old Port, and the development and growth will be something that will bring Portland to a new economic level,” Portland business owner Angela Foddrill told the board.But reaction has not been universally positive. As we reported in September, some community members raised concerns about the building’s scale, its impact on the character of the Old Port, and whether such a large tower fits Portland’s identity. Others questioned whether the project addresses the city’s growing affordability challenges.Now that the Planning Board has granted approval, the developers, East Brown Cow Management LLC, can move forward with the next stages of permitting and preparation.If completed as designed, the building would reshape Portland’s skyline and mark a new chapter in the city’s development.
PORTLAND, Maine —
The Portland Planning Board has unanimously approved plans for a 30-story mixed-use tower at 45 Union Street, clearing a major hurdle for what would become the tallest building in Maine.
The nearly 200,000-square-foot project in the Old Port includes 73 residential condominiums, an 88-room hotel, and ground-floor commercial space.
As 380 feet, the proposed building has drawn significant public attention, with some residents and business owners expressing enthusiasm about bringing new housing and economic activity to the downtown area. Supporters say the project would transform an underused parcel and strengthen Portland’s urban core.
“We think it will bring some new life into the Old Port, and the development and growth will be something that will bring Portland to a new economic level,” Portland business owner Angela Foddrill told the board.
But reaction has not been universally positive. As we reported in September, some community members raised concerns about the building’s scale, its impact on the character of the Old Port, and whether such a large tower fits Portland’s identity. Others questioned whether the project addresses the city’s growing affordability challenges.
Now that the Planning Board has granted approval, the developers, East Brown Cow Management LLC, can move forward with the next stages of permitting and preparation.
If completed as designed, the building would reshape Portland’s skyline and mark a new chapter in the city’s development.