Portland’s Planning Board voted Tuesday to approve final design changes for the “midtown” project, a residential and retail development that could transform the Bayside neighborhood and ease Portland’s housing crunch.

The project has been in the works for five years and was formally approved by the Planning Board on March 3, on the condition that the developer return with design changes. While satisfied with the overall plan, the board took issue with aspects such as the monolithic nature of the largest building, and the rooftop cornices.

The Planning Board voted 5-1 Tuesday to approve the design changes, but some members said they were still not happy with the cornices, which they described as “repetitive” and doing nothing to enhance the rooftops on the buildings that motorists will see as they pass through Portland on Interstate 295.

Board members said the developer had to make the rooftop designs more varied. Those changes must be reviewed by the Planning Department’s staff for the project to move forward, said board Chairman Stuart O’Brien. Patrick Venne, a spokesman for the Federated Co., the project’s developer, said he did not see that requirement as an obstacle.

Midtown will be built on 3.5 acres along Somerset Street between Pearl and Elm streets, a former industrial neighborhood next to I-295 that has been home to rail yards, scrap yards and warehouses. The plan calls for three six-story buildings with 445 market-rate apartments, and an 800-space parking garage with retail space on the first floors of all four structures.

Opponents filed a lawsuit after an initial larger plan was approved, leading to a compromise and the final version presented Tuesday.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.