PORTLAND, Maine – The City of Portland is asking residents to weigh in on the future of four city-owned parcels in the Bayside neighborhood, a collection of properties officials are referring to as the “Midtown properties.”
Before the sites are formally marketed for potential sale, city officials are opening a public feedback process that includes an online survey and two upcoming public meetings aimed at gathering community input on how the land should be used.
The parcels are located in the B-3 zone, where a mix of housing, commercial, and community uses is allowed. Development on the sites can reach as high as 180 feet, or roughly 15 to 18 stories. All four properties also sit directly next to the multi-use Bayside Trail, making the future of the land a significant issue for the surrounding neighborhood and the city more broadly.
Residents are being encouraged to complete a brief anonymous online survey to rank their preferences for land use and share their vision for the properties. Feedback will be accepted through Monday, May 4.
https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1692/Revitalizing-Downtown
The city has also scheduled two public meetings as part of the outreach effort.
The first community feedback session is set for April 15, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 212 Canco Road. A second session will take place April 29, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at City Hall in the Kippy Richardson Conference Room 24.
City officials say a summary of the public feedback will be presented to the City Council’s Housing and Economic Development Committee at its May 19, 2026 meeting. That input is expected to help shape the final marketing materials and development goals for the sites before they are offered for sale.
The city’s renewed push to determine the future of the properties comes after a settlement with the Federated Companies returned the 3.45-acre site to city ownership. Following that settlement, the City Council authorized a professional brokerage process to identify the “highest and best use” of the land.
The Boulos Company was then selected to help market the properties based on guidance from both the community and the City Council.
Portland
Why public input, just sell it to the Chinese