Mainebiz

V O L . X X V N O. I I I F E B R UA R Y 4 , 2 0 1 9 22 S O U T H E R N M A I N E F O C U S e 1 Center St. hotel that Brady and his firm are developing is being designed by HKS Architects of Dallas, for a 23,000-square-foot site of what's now a parking lot owned by North River IV. e vision is "a design-focused lifestyle hotel," Brady says. "Design-focused," he says, means having a style related to the local community, rather than standardized. A franchise with a national hotel has been approved but can't be announced yet, he says. "It's important to us that we work with a franchise that's willing to work with our design team to create some- thing unique to Portland," he says. Pending approval, Brady says they'll break ground later this year and open by spring 2021. e six-floor hotel will have 135 rooms. Brady says it would be the first in Portland to feature an indoor- outdoor rooftop bar. Brady says Fathom also holds an option to develop a hotel on Saco Island in Saco. J&B Partners LLC, owned by Saco developer Bernie Saulnier, previ- ously told Mainebiz he plans to develop 5.84 acres there for multi-use that includes a hotel. Plans are still being reviewed by the city. e hotel at 58 Fore St. is expected to open in 2020. It will be part of a larger $250 million development, called Portland Foreside, at the former Portland Co. property. Plans for the hotel include 150 guestrooms, lobby bar and restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating and outdoor pool. At ompson's Point, Forefront Partners' Chris ompson and Jed Troubh plan the 148-room Hotel Portland, part of the Tribute Portfolio by Marriott International. Construction is expected to start this year, with move in by 2020. "It's the first hotel you'll see driving into town, and the first hotel you'll see by just about any mode of transit com- ing into town," says ompson. e design, with features like a speakeasy bar, will evoke a sense of place. Brick construction with granite banding will reference existing historic buildings on the point. e building will con- nect with the adjacent Brick South, a 34,000-square-foot events space. at will allow both to leverage business and events opportunities, ompson says. e hotel will tie together overall ompson Point activity for customers planning cultural and food-and-beer visits there. Future plans call for building a hotel dock to accommodate water taxis to the Old Port. "We feel a hotel will benefit greatly from demand generation that's already happening on the site," he says. "If we were just hopping in to grab a piece of the pie without contributing to growing it, we'd be more watchful. But ompson's Point is about growing a destination. Even without a hotel, we feel that's happened." Buying a home? We Make It Easy Whether it's your first home or your home away from home, let us do the heavy li ing. With quick, local decisions, less paperwork and low closing costs, it's almost like we're doing the moving for you. Bill Hill (right) Regional Vice President Augusta (207) 622-5801 Waterville (207) 872-5563 Winthrop (207) 377-5801 Farmingdale (207) 588-5801 Freeport Loan Center (207) 865-1550 www.KennebecSavings.Bank Portland's premier furnished short and long term rentals 2 2 5 C U M B E R L A N D A V E . , P O R T L A N D 2 0 7 . 7 7 4 . 5 3 5 8 P O R T L A N D M A I N E R E N TA L S .C O M » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E N E W H O T E L R E N D E R I N G / C O U R T E S Y O F C H R I S T H O M P S O N , O P E C H E E C O N S T R U C T I O N C O R P At 6 Thompson's Point in Portland, Forefront Partners is planning the 148-room Hotel Portland, part of the Tribute Portfolio by Marriott International. Construction is expected to start this year, with a 2020 opening. Convention wisdom P ortland's lack of a convention center could be a constraint on the hotel sector's growth. "Portland has not really courted business travel, in part because it doesn't have a venue for the largest groups, like a convention center," says Hospitality Maine President and CEO Steve Hewins. "There are hundreds of large busi- ness groups that would come here, but can't." Although hotel occupancy is far higher off-season than it once was, con- ventions could help fill midweek and off-season gaps, says Lynn Tillotson, president and CEO of Visit Portland.

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