Welcome to the Bayside Neighborhood! The latest BNA goings-on are here. For more information about the BNA click on the menu above. Subscribe to get email notifications of new posts using the blue button on the right. Reach out to info@baysideportland.org with any questions or ideas. Thanks for staying in touch!
Calling all Baysiders! Now is the time to have our voices heard! In response to demands for public involvement before selling the Midtown Properties in Bayside, The City of Portland announced a comprehensive process for soliciting community input. Click here to access the City of Portland website for more information and to take the community survey
Community members are invited to share their ideas for how these sites should be used at upcoming public meetings and through an online survey. A summary of community feedback will be presented to the Council’s Housing & Economic Development Committee in May. Based on this input and subsequent Council guidance, marketing materials may be developed for further Committee review.
The Bayside Neighborhood Association has been working on this for decades, and was instrumental in producing the landmark New Vision for Bayside in January of 2000 as part of the city’s comprehensive plan. Still relevant today, it’s the centerpiece of the city’s supporting documents on Midtown. At the heart of the plan, as illustrated below, is a sequence of urban-density buildings lining the then-unrealized Bayside Trail, anchored by a central “public open space.” We respectfully request that the city honors that commitment to the public good by reserving a 125′ x 125′ piece of the property (about 1/10th of the total area) for a much needed public recreation area.
Today, we’re asking Baysiders and allies to affirm and amplify the board’s multiple entreaties to the council. Below are copies of the BNA’s official statements. Please feel free to refer to them when filling out the survey and/or writing to your city councillors. We also want to hear your ideas so please reach out to board@baysideportland.org and let us know what you think.
More on Midtown:
Drop by Maine Clay Collaborative during this coming First Friday, April 3rd from 5 to 7pm to help us get ready for the Bayside Gnome Roam during Bayside Week (4/25-5/2)
What’s a Gnome Roam? All through Bayside Week, handmade clay figurines will be tucked into corners, perched on stoops, and lurking in plain sight all across the neighborhood. You make them and the folks at Maine Clay will bake them. Next we’ll hide them so neighbors can find them, photograph them, share them. It’s part art project, part hide-and-seek, and totally Bayside.
Bayside Week is coming this spring — April 25th through May 2nd — and the Gnome Roam is just part of what’s happening. Find out more at www.baysideportland.org or contact the events team to add an event or join in the fun. Help us celebrate the neighborhood you love and show why Bayside is the Playside!
from our friends at the City of Portland Office of Sustainability: Portland’s upcoming Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 18th from 11am-2pm at Deering Oaks Park by the Bandstand, just steps from the opening day of the Portland Farmers’ Market.
The BNA Citizens’ Trash Brigade is teaming up with The City of Portland Office of Sustainability, Portland Parks, Recreation and Facilities, and The Portland Parks Conservancy again this year for the Annual Spring Cleanup. This event will also clear the way to kickoff Bayside Week, with lots of surprises, so stay tuned and keep in touch!
Deadline for the Spring 2026 Baysider is April 1st. Get your content in so we can get it out! baysider@baysideportland.org
The Bayside Neighborhood Association presents the first inaugural BPM Drum Festival on the Bayside Trail this summer thanks for 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!
We believe that the BPM Drum Festival is the first EVER to synchronize the beats of several groups performing simultaneously. The impetus of the idea, however, came from another unique local festival called Vigorous Tenderness which features avant-garde chamber music in plein air. Both festivals invite the audience to move freely along a route from one sonic space to another, sometimes blending performers’ work, as well as the surrounding sonic environment. The idea for using drums came naturally from the plethora of ethnic drum groups in our culturally diverse neighborhood, as well as a wildly successful tree-hugging event we staged on the Bayside Trail featuring a local
Penobscot tribal drum group.
Bayside is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the State of Maine. Long neglected and red-lined by cynical city policies, it is now the subject of intense land speculation. Meanwhile the vacant lots and unkept promises can make it
hard for residents and visitors to enjoy our few greenspaces. The Bayside Trail was designed to connect the neighborhood and create positive change, and the Bayside Neighborhood Association is committed to making that promise a reality. The BPM Drum Festival is our chance to do just that, and celebrate our shared hope for the future.
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, Creative Portland and other community organizations who have helped us in the past. We’ve reached out to several drum groups who are excited to participate, including the Keepers of the Penobscot Drum, Taiko Maine, Namory Keita, and others. 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
NBT Bank Opens a Branch in Bayside — and Invests in the Neighborhood.
On March 10th, NBT welcomed neighbors and community members to their new location at 191 Marginal Way for a ribbon cutting and branch tour, before continuing the celebration at Rising Tide Brewery. It was a warm, well-attended afternoon — and a nice way to mark the occasion.
We want to say a genuine thank you to NBT Bank for their $2,500 donation to the Bayside Neighborhood Association, made in conjunction with the opening of their new Bayside branch this month.
NBT’s decision to expand to Bayside is something we don’t take for granted. It reflects a belief in this neighborhood — in its residents, its businesses, and its future. And their contribution to the BNA shows that their interest in Bayside goes beyond opening a branch. They want to be part of the community.
That matters to us. The BNA exists to support and strengthen Bayside, and having partners who share that commitment makes that work more possible.
We’re glad NBT is here, and we look forward to what we can do together.
Prosperity ME will be offering their Basic Money Management course on Wednesday evenings, March 25 – April 22, in their Bayside office from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM.
In the five-session Basic Money Management course we cover goalsetting, budgeting, banking and managing your credit. Participants can register online using this link. Instructors will send more information before the class to all registered participants. We are proud to share that our course is approved to help prospective homebuyers who qualify for the FirstGen program with MaineHousing.
The BNA Events Team is gearing up for Bayside Week from April 25 to May 2 — a weeklong celebration of Bayside pride to show that Bayside is the Playside of Portland. The week culminates on Saturday, May 2nd with the Annual Meeting and Feast, which also coincides with the annual tradition of Jane’s Walk. Last year two local Bayside history buffs offered walks centered around the Preble Street Chapel. We’re encouraging even more participation in Bayside this year. Got an idea? Let’s do it! Sign up with Portland Downtown below and let us know your ideas by emailing eventsteam@baysideportland.org
Secretary of the BNA board Colette Bouchard will once again chair the nominating committee in search of potential new board members. Every year at the Annual Meeting, one-half of the board is elected for a two-year term. Due to the departure of Alex Landry last spring, followed by the untimely passing of Deb Van Hoewyk last summer, the board has two current vacancies for even-year members. In addition, the board is seeking to add two new seats this spring, bringing the total number of individual board members to ten. All who “live work or play” in Bayside are eligible to submit their name to the Nominating Committee for consideration; two-thirds of the final board makeup will be Bayside residents, per BNA bylaws. The nominating committee endeavors for diversity, equity, and inclusion and encourages all to apply.
The BNA board is a dedicated group of neighbors and friends of Bayside, working together to make Bayside a better place. Some of the current board members have served since the BNA was founded over 25 years ago. Others are new to the neighborhood and serving their first year on the board. All share a deep commitment to building community and moving Bayside toward a bright future. For more about the mission and history of the Bayside Neighborhood Association, see our webpages here: https://baysideportland.org/about-the-bna/ Monthly board meetings are always public and are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm. The next meeting is March 3rd and will be held on zoom, using the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86830625973
The election of board members will be held at our Annual Meeting on Sat May 2nd, venue TBD. A slate of candidates will be announced 30 days in advance of the May 2nd elections. A full description of the nominating process can be found here: Nominating & Election Procedures and Policies.
Elections Process Summary:
If you’re interested in running for the BNA board of directors, or know someone who you think would be, please contact info@baysideportland.org or fill out this simple form: BNA Board Candidacy. We hope to hear from you!
TO: Portland City Council
FROM: Bayside Neighborhood Association
DATE: February 9, 2026
SUBJECT: Midtown Properties
Dear Mayor and City Councilors,
The Bayside Neighborhood Association respectfully requests that the Council pause any decisions regarding which portions of the Midtown property will be sold. Given the significance of this property to the future of our community and the potential long-term impacts of its development, it is essential that we proceed thoughtfully and with comprehensive public input.
We believe that the lots may need to be sub-divided before going to market, to engender a more diverse set of possible outcomes for this extraordinary piece of land. A delay in the decision-making process would allow for deeper engagement with residents, stakeholders, and urban planning experts to ensure that the choices made for Midtown reflect the best interests of Portland now and for generations to come.
Thank you for considering this request and for your continued dedication to our city.
Sincerely,
Thomas Blackburn, President
Bayside Neighborhood Association
BNA Board of directors:
Thomas Blackburn, 14 Hanover Street
Robert Sylvain, 167 Falmouth Street
Colette Bouchard, 18 Hanover Street
Pete Markoe, 47 Hanover Street
Susan McCloskey, 25 Parris Street
Jim Hall, 47 Cedar Street
Betsy Boyd, Portland Downtown
“The Bayside Neighborhood Association stands, as always, with our immigrant neighbors and friends. New Mainers from other countries, whose hard-work and commitment to building a better life makes Bayside a better place, are among the best of us. The multicultural fabric of Bayside is and has always been an integral part of our neighborhood’s identity as a welcoming community. Our mission continues to focus on promoting diversity and forging meaningful partnerships. The BNA opposes any plan to bring militarized federal agents to our city to target and detain our fellow residents.”
Food for All Services in Bayside is doing incredible work to help our neighbors stay safe and they need your help. Click on the link to donate or volunteer.
Recently the City of Portland, Maine’s Mayor Mark Dion released the following statement:
“Our community is anxious and fearful regarding the understanding that ICE is planning to send agents to Portland and Lewiston next week. We are a welcoming city. There is no evidence of unchecked criminal activity in our community requiring a disproportionate presence of federal agents. In that view, Portland rejects the need for the deployment of ICE agents into our neighborhoods. While we respect the law, we challenge the need for a paramilitary approach to the enforcement of federal statutes. The consequence of law enforcement should not be chaos and violence, which only results in making Portland less safe.”
“The City Council and I stand, not apart, but with our lawfully admitted immigrant and refugee communities. I urge our residents to look out for one another. Know your rights and have a plan of action if ICE stops you on the street, visits your home, or arrives at your business or place of employment. As a reminder, Portland Police does not cooperate with ICE and they do not participate in enforcing federal immigration law. If you decide to protest or demonstrate, keep your efforts peaceful and consistent with the expectations for lawful behavior that we all share.”
You can also find information on legal support and how immigrants can best prepare for ICE from ACLU of Maine, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) and the Refugee and Human Rights Clinic at the University of Maine School of Law.
This work moves rapidly and pivots frequently. Be sure to check @no.ice.for.me on Instagram frequently and check your email inbox to see our latest updates.
Movements like the one emerging here in Maine are powered by small actions from everyday people. You do not need special training, gifts, or talent to be able to help out. If you see a need that’s not being met, please step up to fill it. We can only do this together.
Organizing is a way we give our life meaning in such difficult times. Please connect with your friends, meet your neighbors, and see the ways you can be a leader in this moment.
In solidarity,
No ICE for ME
2026 promises to be a big year for Bayside! With thousands of housing units under construction and in planning, new hopes for public greenspace, and the potential for a game-changing community center in Bayside, the future has never looked brighter when you focus on what we can do together locally. Here’s a quick look the year behind us and a peek at what’s to come:
…and SO much more. Scroll through our “news & events” page for a little trip down memory lane. Our website got a little refresh recently too, so each of the new BNA teams has its own page. Website traffic has increased threefold this year, and so have donations!
Over one thousand new housing units are in development right now in Bayside, with hundreds more proposed, not including the potential for more in the Franklin Redesign and newly re-acquired Midtown Properties, which the BNA believes should also include open space and park amenities to support the new housing. Keep a tab on things and make your voice heard on the Relevant Developments Team and the Trees and Greens Team.
BAYSIDE WEEK is coming this spring! Bookended by the Annual Spring Cleanup on April 25th and the Annual Meeting and Elections on May 2nd, many events and activities are being planned throughout the week, including the rollout of a new vistors’ map by the Business Breakfast Club, a treasure hunt, Jane’s Walk, plus the new Bayside First Friday and more. You can help by joining the Events Team.
The BNA offers opportunities to serve your community in many different ways. We have a new team lead for the Safe Streets Team, and we’re reforming the Welcome Team too, so there’s lots of room for new team members. There’s always the chance to start a new team if you have an area of interest you’d like to rally with your neighbors to pursue.
The BNA board also has activated the nominating committee to find potential new board members. Every year at the Annual Meeting, one-half of the board is elected for a two-year term. The nominating committee will be announcing the number of available seats in the coming weeks, and a slate of candidates will be announced 30 days in advance of the May 2nd elections. If you’re interested in running for the BNA board of directors, please contact board@baysideportland.org
