On Thursday, April 17 the City of Portland is hosting a drop-in Open House to kick off the Reimagining Franklin Street project
The event will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about how the vision for Franklin Street has evolved over time, to provide input on how the street is working now, and to give us their ideas for a future Franklin Street. All are welcome.
photos from the event:
The Bayside Business Breakfast Club met on March 26, 2025 at Levitt & Sons Deli. About a dozen business owners gathered. Greg Watson, Director of Housing & Economic Development attended and gave an overview of upcoming area developments. Other funding programs like small business grants were reviewed. Neighborhood safety was discussed. Some businesses mentioned customers not feeling safe walking to their location. Parking was also discussed. Businesses do not feel there are the right options for parking – from lack of parking, not in the place it needs to be to service some businesses. There were comments about new developments not being required to provide parking – new residentials and the proposed Live Nation – but some Bayside businesses had old ordinances that required parking. No business leader has emerged to lead this group but some folks offered to give input on future agendas. The next gathering will be April 30 at Coffee Me Up, 8:30am. for more information email breakfastclub@baysideportland.org
CITY OF PORTLAND NEWS RELEASE
Registration Now Open for City’s Co-op Tree Planting Program
PORTLAND, Maine – Portland residents can help cultivate a resilient, equitable urban forest by participating in the City’s Co-op Tree Planting Program. This collaborative program allows eligible Portland residents to purchase a tree and the City Forestry team will handle the pick-up and planting process. Co-op trees can be planted in esplanades, tree wells, or lawns that meet the requirements. Participants from the previous two years are not eligible for co-op planting.
Interested residents can carefully review the Co-op planting process, requirements, and registration form on the City website; program requirements have changed in recent seasons. New this year: Participants do not need to purchase a tree before registering. City staff will review selected planting sites and intended tree species first before giving the go-ahead to make the purchase.
Space is limited, so residents are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Depending on demand, registration may close in advance of the April 30 deadline. Questions can be directed to trees@portlandmaine.gov.
The Bayside Neighborhood Association Trees & Greens Team is working with city officials and other non-profits to improve Bayside’s tree equity score, which currently is 59th out of 59 block groups according to American Forests’ Tree Equity Map Reach out to greenteam@baysideportland.org for more information.
There was standing room only on January 27th at the Press Hotel where developers explained plans for a 3,300 seat Live-Nation music and entertainment venue. The new construction project proposed for the corner of Cumberland Avenue and Myrtle Street is in the planning board workshop phase, seeking board approval. Several folks in the arts and entertainment industry spoke in opposition to this venue for reasons including its size (trumping many smaller venues), the owner’s alleged history of monopolization tactics, and lack of a current market large enough to support an additional venue of this size. Some residents in Bayside are in favor of the concept and proposed execution of the project with regard to impact on the neighborhood. Others in Bayside expressed concerns over traffic congestion and the lack of adequate parking for residents here that is already a serious issue. Portland’s latest recode deems this project exempt from providing parking on site.
The BNA is committed to being a public clearinghouse of information about developments that affect our neighborhood, amplifying the voices of our neighbors, and facilitating a constructive dialogue to serve the greater good. To that end we’ll be following news and posting updates as this proposal goes through its paces with the planning board. Tell us what you think.
More information on the project is available on the city of portland website here: https://selfservice.portlandmaine.gov/
Here is a Portland Press Herald article on the project: https://www.pressherald.com/2024/12/20/developers-propose-new-3300-seat-music-venue-in-downtown-portland/
This post will be updated as new information is available.
April 1, 2025 Update: The BNA board approved the following statement regarding the development:
Dozens of Bayside neighbors, friends and interested parties gathered at Two Fat Cats Bakery on Lancaster Street on Tuesday to brainstorm ideas and discuss next steps for the community design project for Justin Alfond’s property at 72 Parris Street, the former location of Fork Food Labs. Community organizer Jonah Fertig-Burd facilitated a workgroup session exploring priorities and possibilities, and introduced a steering committee, including members of the BNA board, to bring the project forward. Stay tuned for more information about this exciting opportunity.
Steering Committee Members:
Congratulations to the new District One Portland City Councilor, Bayside’s own Sarah Michniewicz, who served as president of the BNA since 2017. Longtime board member and BNA vice-president Robert Sylvain will be stepping in as president pro tempore until elections can be held at the next annual general membership meeting.
Send your comments regarding the development to planningboard@portlandmaine.gov; send questions to zpowell@portlandmaine.gov, and let District 1 Councilor Anna Trevorrow know your thoughts – atrevorrow@portlandmaine.gov Updated plan details may be found here on the City portal.
• Implementation is proposed to occur in five phases. See Master Phasing Plan attachment here.
• Area of development: 13 parcels, 7 blocks, 7 new buildings
• Housing units: 201 affordable and 603 market rate (total 804)*
• New ground floor retail space: 28,500 sf; existing commercial space: 175,000 sf
• Number of units per building: 59 – 201
• Parking space requirements: 39 – 94 per building.
• Number of stories: 5 – 10 (three are 10 stories)
• Heights: 55′ to 105′
• Six of the seven buildings would span the entire length of the block
More Details
• Phase 1A calls for the construction of 201 units of affordable housing (on Elm Street between Oxford and Lancaster). New housing developments must rent 25% of the units as affordable housing. Port Property is proposing to build all 201 affordable units in one large block-long building.
• A woonerf/”linear park” is proposed on a public street (Lancaster Street from Elm to Preble), akin to the area of Lancaster between the restaurants at 82 Hanover Street and Port Property’s new apartment building under construction at 52 Hanover.
• No public green space is proposed beyond a small patch on the woonerf. NOTE: None of the areas marked in green on the map are public green spaces or parks, except for a portion of the Bayside Trail. Much of that area is privately owned and comprised of dirt lots intended to eventually be developed. The area northeast of Chestnut Street is owned by the City and is the likely future site of a parking garage.
*UPDATE 3/6/2023* While there is a requirement for “open space” there’s no stipulation that it be “green.”
*UPDATE 6/6/2023* Open space has been proposed which would include a large grassed oval.
• It’s unclear what would happen to the existing historic structures on lots where buildings are proposed. In the below architectural rendering they do not appear to be integrated into the concept design (the Two Fat Cats building on Lancaster; the north-west side of Oxford Street from Elm to Preble, etc).
*UPDATE 3/6/2023* Subsequent documents confirm that the Two Fat Cats building and all of the buildings on the north side of Oxford from Elm to Preble are slated to be demolished.
• No development is currently proposed in the area zoned R6 (from Chestnut to the midpoint between Cedar and Elm and from Lancaster to Oxford), which includes the Bayside Community Garden (run by the BNA), Oxford Street Shelter building, and eight private single family and multi-unit homes.* However:
– The Oxford Street Shelter building at 203 Oxford Street could potentially be demolished to create a construction staging area. This building dates to 1900 and was originally a two-family home.
– Port Property has said they intend to eventually build where the community garden now sits. Bayside is the only neighborhood without a permanent community garden supported by the City. There is no other open, accessible green space for blocks.
*UPDATE 3/6/2023* Subsequent documents confirm plans to develop parcels through the R6 zone surrounding existing single family and small multi-family homes.
Thank you to everyone who pitched in at the BNA Fall Community Cleanup! We met new neighbors from the Daymark Portland Condos , Jessica James from Longfellow Communications brought her team along, and unhoused neighbors showed up to help brighten up Bayside. Lucky volunteers won gift certificates to Isa, Leavitt & Sons, Portland , Bayside Bowl, Pizzaiolo and Dunkin’. And of course our indomitable Community Policing Coordinator Jen Rogers at Portland Maine Police Department led the way and organized gloves and trash bags. If you missed this one we’ll be doing it again in the spring!
It was great to see so many of you at the BNA Annual meeting and potluck on October 18! We’re grateful to our Bayside neighbors Foundation House for hosting us. Mayoral candidates Councilor Mark Dion, former councilor Justin Costa, & Dylan Pugh, and at-large candidate Bill Linnell, graciously joined us to hear what Baysiders had to say (and brought delicious cookies, mac & cheese and lobster rolls to share!)
This year’s Fall Cleanup and Raffle is on a Friday! Come join the BNA on on Friday, October 20 2023 from 3:30 PM – 5 PM to meet new neighbors and see old friends, have some snacks, and help beautify Bayside. As always, all volunteers will be entered for a chance to win a gift certificate to a great Bayside business! Isa Bistro and Leavitt & Sons Deli are two of our great sponsors.