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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 Fact Book / Doing Business in Maine Q UA L I T Y O F L I F E the school and campus more about Portland," says Glenn Cummings, who stepped down recently as president of the University of Southern Maine. "It's a cultural change for the University of Southern Maine and we've gotten an overwhelmingly positive response." "Portland has all the things a college student wants: the food, the microbreweries, entertainment, the waterfront, etc. It's safe and liv- able, which parents like to see and students themselves like to see," Cummings says. "Portland is considered the 8th best place to live in the country, according to U.S. News and location is among the top five reasons for where you go to school. at's why we invested in our Portland Commons Residence Hall. We want to attract those students look- ing for a place to call home in Portland," Cummings says. The housing challenge e Portland Commons Residence Hall, the first university residence hall on USM's Portland campus, is expected to be completed by mid-2023. e 580-bed Portland Commons is a roughly $100 million project that the university hopes will help attract and retain students and offer afford- able housing at a time of a housing crisis. e university is also building a 42,000-square foot Career & Student Success Center and creating a one- acre campus quad. "e biggest barrier to attracting students to Portland is housing. If stu- dents are going to continue to thrive and stay in Portland, we need hous- ing," Cummings says. Herbert agrees. "Portland already has a vibrant restaurant scene. It's got that in abundance. It's got the cultural and dining boxes checked. And the recreational aspect. Portland is unique. If you want an urban vibe, you can get that there. But there's also awesome recreation that's 10 minutes away and you're in the sticks and surrounded by nature," Herbert says. "What Portland needs is more, and more easily accessible housing. If we want to attract more students from away, we need to address housing and rethink the good-intentioned policies that have actually dampened develop- ment," Herbert says. Developers have cited the Green New Deal and rent control as well- meaning but poorly executed policies passed by voters. e Green New Deal, passed by voters in 2020, tightened requirements on affordable housing in residential developments, making it more costly for developers to construct homes. In the year following the passage of the referendum, residential develop- ment dropped by 81.6%, according to a study by the Boulos Co. "e challenge is housing. Students and affordable housing go hand-in- hand," says Synder. "Transportation as Portland grows will become more press- ing. We really need a regional solution to solve a myriad of issues." BUILDING ON OUR PROMISE. Husson University - College of Business Bangor, Maine Design-Build / Engineering General Contracting Construction Management PO Box 359 - 33 Sheridan Drive Fairfield, ME 04937 Phone: 207.453.9311 www.sheridancorp.com C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F U N E James Herbert, president, University of New England R E N D E R I N G / C O U R T E S Y O F T S O I K O B U S D E S I G N The Roux Institute's proposed campus at the former B&M site in Portland. By the numbers Portland has a lot to brag about when it comes to its student population. Here are the schools with a presence in the city and their estimated student counts there. Some of the schools have stu- dents on other campuses, but these are their Portland tallies. Northeastern University Roux Institute: 4,500 students within 20 years University of Southern Maine: 7,800 students University of New England, Portland campus: 1,238 currently, with 350 medical students to move from Biddeford campus to Portland campus Maine College of Art & Design: 432 S O U R C E : Colleges, Mainebiz research

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