The tallest building in the state could be built in Portland’s Old Port if city councilors approve a proposal to allow developers to build beyond height limits if they create public spaces at ground level.

Tim Soley of East Brown Cow Management, which owns 14 properties in the city, submitted the zoning amendment request Dec. 11, 2019, that would award height bonuses resulting in buildings of up to 299 feet in exchange for open space that would be accessible to the public and preserved through public access easements held by the city. Read more...

A longtime Portland developer and Old Port landowner is requesting a zoning measure that could pave the way for construction of the city’s tallest building. 

An “urban inn” has opened in Maine’s largest urban area.

Dubbed 121 Middle with an address of, unsurprisingly, 121 Middle St., the inn features 11 rooms on the third floor of the historic Thompson Block in Portland’s Old Port district. Floor plans include two-bedroom apartments, suites and studios, and each unit has a kitchen and living space, according to a news release Thursday. Read more...

Montreal-based Copper Branch, a vegetarian restaurant, opened Wednesday in the glass oval building at 1 Canal Plaza.Chris and Melissa Hooper, of Cape Elizabeth, leased the 1,350-square-foot building last spring from East Brown Cow Management Inc. Mainebiz's Renee Cordes reported on their plans in April. Read more...

The glass circular building at 1 Canal Plaza in downtown Portland is to be transformed into an all-day vegan eatery serving power bowls and other healthy dishes. Chris and Melissa Hooper, husband-and-wife entrepreneurs who will become the building’s first tenants after signing a lease, told Mainebiz they’re targeting a September opening — possibly sooner — for the business.  Read more...