The value of the master planning effort that we are about to undertake is that competition for the waterfront will be intense and the opportunity to set the foundation for proper utilization of this asset for many years into the future is before us.
City Plans Will Ensure Long-Term Viability of Waterfront
In New England the Port of Portland, ME is the:
- largest tonnage throughput port
- second largest international passenger port
- second largest for landings of fisheries products.
The City will manage two parallel but joined processes to move ahead with its continued focus on waterfront economic development. These processes will be a continuation of the many studies, nearly one annually, that has taken place over the last twenty years.
The objectives of these two committees is to produce:
Waterfront Master Plan Critical to Economic Vitality
Waterfront master planning for Portland is critical to our sustained economic vitality and is needed to protect the finite resources of the waterfront. Without master planning, direct conflict among growth industries on the waterfront will continue, as well as the pressure to convert marine-use infrastructure into alternative and more financially viable uses. While many communities institute stopgap measures such as zoning or designated port areas, these measures do not often address the full scope of planning requirements.
Waterfront master planning requirements include:
- compatibility of industries
- clustering
- traffic
- transportation infrastructure
- public and private investment strategies
- long term operating and capital requirements for public facilities
- management opportunities
- economic opportunities
- other public strategies
Financial analysis identifies needs and opportunities
In addition to the master planning process, the City's Department of Transportation and Waterfront conducted a full financial analysis of its marine facilities to determine the long term cost of operations and capital investment required for the next decade. It is also undertaking a niche industry analysis to identify potential port opportunities and socioeconomic impacts.
Read the following documents from the Master Plan Report:
- Supplemental Report
PDF (6MB) | Text only - Design Guidelines
PDF (488kb) | Text only - View the entire process of the Waterfront Masterplanning Committee, the process and their report.
Power Point Slide Show (.zip 15MB) | HTML (Text only)
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free). If you need an unzipping tool, try StuffIt Expander (free).
