The BNA’s Citizens’ Trash Brigade team, led by Bayside resident Megan Holt, joined forces with staff and clients from Preble Street’s Elena’a Way to pick up trash around the neighborhood today. The Citizens’ Trash Brigade meets at 28 Portland Street on the third Friday of every month at 3pm to help keep our sidewalks and curbs clean and litter-free. When the weather turns and snow falls, we switch to shoveling and sanding neglected sidewalks . Reach out to ctb@baysideportland.org for more information or just come out and join in!
Saturday, September 19th from noon-3pm join the Bayside Opportunity Center (BOC) board of directors for an international picnic lunch at Stone Street Playground in Bayside. BOC board members and friends will be bringing delicious dishes to share representing the many cultures found in our neighborhood, and we would love to see you there!
Welcoming week at the YMCA! Board members from the BNA and BOC greet neighbors in the lobby of the Greater Portland YMCA in Portland to kick off Welcoming Week on Monday. Flyers, newsletters, and other resources are available all week. More information at www.ymcaofsouthernmaine.org and www.baysideoc.org
Save the date: October 14th 5pm-7pm Candidates’ Forum Hear from candidates for Cumberland County District Attorney and Portland City Council At-large seats Recorded live in front of a studio audience, free and open to the public Portland Media Center 516 Congress Street Portland Brought to you by Bayside Neighborhood Association, Portland Downtown, and the Portland Media Center
Also Coming up: October 24th 2nd Annual Howl-o-ween Doggie Costume Pageant Details coming soon. See last year’s event
Thanks to the Portland Seadogs for hosting a wonderful evening at Hadlock Field tonight! Big shout out to BNA baord member Michael Hayes for putting it together and to our VP Peter Markoe and son for delivering the ceremonial first pitch! Congratulations to our home team for a hard fought win, and thanks to our friends, neighbors and families for joining the celebration!
BAYSIDE, PORTLAND, Maine – The Equality Community Center (ECC) will celebrate the grand opening of Equality Commons, a 54-unit affordable senior housing community at 25 Casco Street in downtown Portland. The grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place Wednesday, August 19, at 3 p.m.
Maine’s First Affordable Senior Housing Community with Programs and Services for LGBTQ+ Older Adults
Located next door to the Equality Community Center at 15 Casco Street, Equality Commons is Maine’s first affordable senior housing community developed in partnership with an LGBTQ+ community center, with programs and services specifically designed to support LGBTQ+ older adults.
The project adds 54 affordable homes for residents age 55 and older, contributing to the City of Portland’s efforts to address its shortage of affordable housing. It also provides a safe and inclusive environment where LGBTQ+ older adults, other marginalized community members and their allies can age with dignity while remaining connected to community.
“Equality Commons brings affordable housing, community resources and LGBTQ+-affirming services together in one location,” said Ed Gardner of Gardner Real Estate, an ECC founding member and Chair of the Housing Committee.
LGBTQ+ older adults can face higher risks of poverty, social isolation, chronic health conditions, discrimination and unstable or hostile living environments. Many are more likely to live alone and have limited family support or caregivers, and may encounter discrimination in rental housing because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. As people age and become more reliant on others for care and support, some also fear discrimination or retaliation if they are open about who they are.
Equality Commons is open to all residents age 55 and older, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Apartments are affordable to households earning approximately 50 to 60 percent of the adjusted median income for the greater Portland area, as determined by MaineHousing. More than 250 people have joined the waitlist for the 54 apartments. Leasing is underway, and the waitlist remains open.
Equality Commons includes studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, a community room, retail café with outdoor space, back patio, laundry facilities and a bike room. Nineteen apartments are accessible, including 12 beyond the seven required. Eleven accessible units are set aside for residents living with disabilities, including HIV/AIDS, in partnership with the Frannie Peabody Center.
One future resident, who came out later in life, said Equality Commons offers an opportunity to age in a welcoming environment.
“I spent much of my life hiding a part of who I was. Coming out later in life changed everything. Equality Commons gives me something I never thought I’d have – a safe place to grow older, surrounded by people who see me, understand me and let me be my authentic self.”
Downtown Location and Proximity to ECC Connects Residents to Resources
The downtown location provides convenient access to public transportation, health care, social services, restaurants, entertainment, parks and recreation. Living next door means Equality Commons residents will have easy access to the programs, social activities, educational opportunities and community resources available through ECC, while remaining connected to the larger LGBTQ+ community. Founded in 2015, the Equality Community Center is Maine’s first and only LGBTQ+ and social justice-focused community center. Its home at 15 Casco Street provides space for community organizations, programs, events and services, including a self-serve café, reading room and lending library, art gallery, meeting and event spaces, and the Safe Combinations thrift store.
“Equality Commons is an extension of what we have always believed at ECC: community matters,” said Christopher O’Connor, ECC Executive Director. “We wanted to create more than affordable housing. We wanted to create a place where people can make friends, build relationships, find resources, take part in community life and know that they belong.”
Project Details
The $23.5 million project was funded through public and private financing, including Maine Affordable Housing Tax Credits, federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, a commercial bank loan and a tax increment financing agreement with the City of Portland. MaineHousing selected Equality Commons as one of four projects statewide to receive financing in 2024.
The project received $9.7 million in tax credit equity from the Evernorth 481 Fund II (TD Bank, N.A.), along with additional support from the Genesis Community Loan Fund.
Equality Commons was designed by Ryan Senatore, constructed by Penobscot General Contractors and developed by Developers Collaborative. The Portland Housing Authority will manage the property.
The project also received a generous grant from the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation to support improvements that will make Equality Commons safer and more comfortable for residents: common-area
furnishings, entertainment technology, security cameras, the build-out of the retail space and other improvements.
The grand opening will bring together residents, community members, project partners, supporters and elected officials for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the development.
Thank you to Levitt Family Foundation for supporting The BPM Traditional Drum Festival! @levittfoundation partners with changemakers and nonprofits in towns and cities across America to create joyous, inclusive destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together of all ages and backgrounds, creating healthy, connected, and thriving communities. Learn more: levitt.org
Saturday, August 1st from 3-7pm on the Bayside Trail. FREE!
Tomorrow we transform the Bayside Trail into a main artery to the beating heart of the city! Join neighbors and friends as we practice creative placemaking for our community. Music, food, and fun for the whole family! Hank & Artie’s Food Truck will be on hand to serve up dinner, and the BNA will be handing out free drinks and freeze pops to keep us cool. Bring a drum and join us for a community drum circle to wrap the event. All welcome!
The Bayside Neighborhood Association presents the first inaugural BPM Traditional Drum Festival on the Bayside Trail this summer thanks to a generous grant from the Levitt Family Foundation which leverages the power of free, live music to strengthen the social fabric of communities, creating places people love while amplifying local pride, activating underused public spaces and fostering more healthy, equitable, and thriving communities one city, and one concert, at a time. A perfect fit for Bayside!
Taiko Maine Dojo is a community taiko drumming group from Portland, Maine. Founded in 2006, we seek to share Japanese culture via the unifying spirit of kumi-daiko. Taiko Maine Dojo has members from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds. West African drum master Namory Keita and friends at the Bayside Block Party in 2025Island Beats Steel Drum Band plays the sounds of the Caribbean — calypso, reggae, soca, and island grooves
This will be the first inaugural year for the BPM Drum Fest. Many block parties, fairs and community events over the last 25 years have brought us to this moment. We also have strong partners at the City Office of Sustainability, Portland Downtown, and other community organizations who have helped us in the past. We’re looking for volunteers, fiscal sponsors, and other collaborative partners to help make this dream a reality. Can you help? Contact eventsteam@baysideportland.org
There’s still room for a couple more vendor tables, and they’re free! If you’re a non-profit org, local business, or artist, we’d love to have you join us! call “too oh seven, sicks five oh, five sicks three fore” for more info.
Join us…
Please help us make the inaugural event the best it can be!
Shoutout to Levitt Family Foundation for their support of The BPM Traditional Drum Festival! A social impact funder at the intersection of music, public space and community building, The Levitt Family Foundation supports changemakers and nonprofits nationwide to build healthy, connected, and thriving communities by making live music accessible and bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together. Learn more: levitt.org For a little inspiration, here’s a quote from their website:
What is Creative Placemaking?
“Creative placemaking is a community-driven process that situates arts and culture within broader community vitality strategies and builds upon a community’s existing assets. With partnerships, cross-sector collaborations, and community-engaged design and activation at its core, creative placemaking can help shape the physical, social, and economic qualities of a neighborhood. A collaborative process that connects people with each other, as well as connects people to place, creative placemaking is a collective reimagination of the way people experience a place. With creative placemaking, the arts serve a dual role, both as an activity for participation and also as a conduit or catalyst for other desired outcomes: increase economic vitality of a community; foster greater livability and vibrancy in a community; and build a community’s social capital and civic connection.”
Look for the print edition of the Summer 2026 Baysider at your favorite spots in Bayside and all around town! This issue features a preview of the new Bayside Visitors’ Guide which will soon be available as a glossy tri-fold brochure highlighting Bayside’s top hotspots, thanks to a collaboration between the BNA’s Bayside Business Breakfast Club and Visit Portland. Also in this issue learn about the BNA Events Team’s upcoming BPM Traditional Drum Festival on the Bayside Trail this August 1st. Plus all your favorite columns on Bayside arts, music, food, culture, history, public affairs and more.
If you’re a Bayside business and want to be included in the next Baysider, drop us a line! We have room for new advertisers, and lots of opportunities for editorial support and partnerships. Contact us at baysider@baysideportland.org
The BPM Fest is coming up soon! Our team put together this design for a 10-foot banner to be displayed at the Bayside Trail leading up to and during the festival. We’re looking for one or two more local sponsors to defray the cost of printing and show their support for local arts and music. Please forward this to anyone who may be interested and reach out to eventsteam@baysideportland.org as soon as possible to take advantage of this partnership opportunity. Sponsorships may start as low as $100 for local businesses. Sponsor logos will appear on the right side of the banner (as shown) and also featured prominently on our webpage here: BPM Traditional Drum Festival
Thanks to all our sponsors, especially to the Levitt Family Foundation for a grant to pay the performers. For a little inspiration, here’s a quote from their website:
What is Creative Placemaking?
“Creative placemaking is a community-driven process that situates arts and culture within broader community vitality strategies and builds upon a community’s existing assets. With partnerships, cross-sector collaborations, and community-engaged design and activation at its core, creative placemaking can help shape the physical, social, and economic qualities of a neighborhood. A collaborative process that connects people with each other, as well as connects people to place, creative placemaking is a collective reimagination of the way people experience a place. With creative placemaking, the arts serve a dual role, both as an activity for participation and also as a conduit or catalyst for other desired outcomes: increase economic vitality of a community; foster greater livability and vibrancy in a community; and build a community’s social capital and civic connection.”
The City of Portland is currently developing a new transportation plan called Portland in Motion, and they are looking for direct feedback on what is working—and what isn’t—regarding our streets, sidewalks, and transit routes.
As a neighborhood, this is our chance to influence how we get around Bayside and the wider city. Here is how you can get involved right now:
Take the Questionnaire: Share your feedback on Portland’s current transportation system and outline the changes you want to see.
Sign up for updates: The BNA is planning to host the Portland in Motion team for a neighborhood listening session. We will share the date, time, and location as soon as details are finalized.
Why participate? Whether you walk, bike, drive, or use public transit, your daily commute matters. Let’s make sure Bayside’s voice is represented in this new plan.
