Public Art Committee — Portland, ME
Date: 2025-11-19
Time: 16:00

Anna Berke, Chair
 Sharon Dennehy, Vice-Chair
 Kat Zagaria Buckley
 Phoebe Cole
 Alison Gibbs
 Kelly Hrenko, City Manager appointee
 Justin Levesque
 Sarah Michniewicz, City Councilor
 Stephanie Motter
 John Whipple
 Ronnie Wilson, Creative Portland appointee

 Management & Administration
 Sean King, Urban Designer with Planning & Urban
 Development Department


 PORTLAND PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE
 Wednesday, November 19, 2025
 4:00 PM Hybrid Meeting (in person or online via Zoom link)
 City Hall, Room 209, 389 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101

1. Zoom Meeting Information
 Due to the existence of an emergency or urgent issue the Portland Public Art Committee will conduct this
 meeting by remote methods/technology at the Zoom link provided below, in accordance with the
 requirements of 1 M.R.S. section 403-B and the City Council's Remote Participation Policy.

 Allow your computer to install the free zoom app to get the best meeting experience. For more information
 on how to use Zoom, please go to: https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/18148b5d-f26e-472f-8d2c-
 245db97e5c27?. Public comment will be taken; written comments may be submitted to
 publicart@portlandmaine.gov

 Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/j/81634418875
 Or One tap mobile : US: +19292056099,,81634418875# or +13017158592,,81634418875#
 Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
 US: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1
 346 248 7799
 Webinar ID: 816 3441 8875
 International numbers available: https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/u/kcytm2arCM

2. Call to Order

 • Roll call
 • Review and approve minutes from October 15, 2025 meeting.

3. Staff Updates
 A. Public art fund balance: No reductions
 Presenter: Sean King
 No public comment will be taken
 B. Encumbrances for new acquisitions of public art: No updates
 Presenter: Sean King
 No public comment will be taken
 C. Collection updates
 Presenter: Sean King
 1. Gorham Corner: The Committee recommended a relocation of the granite posts
 arranged around the perimeter of the John Ford statue during the October 15, 2025
 meeting. Staff shared a diagram that is under review by the Public Works Department to
 consider winter maintenance associated with the preferred relocation of granite posts at the
 intersection of York St. and Pleasant St.
4. New Business
 A. Portland Harbor Common: A request for proposal (RFP) has been developed by the new
 acquisition subcommittee to commission artwork for a new waterfront park on the Eastern
 Waterfront. The Committee reviewed a draft of the RFP during its October 15, 2025
 meeting. Staff recommends that the Committee make a motion to approve the draft RFP and
 authorize staff to proceed with the advertising process.
 Public comment will be taken

 B. Jewel Box bus shelter: Review and discussion of a request to use PPAC funds to replace
 glass damaged by corrosive graffiti, and a broader discussion regarding the future maintenance
 and upkeep of the shelter. Staff recommends that the Committee approve the use of existing
 PPAC funds to cover the cost of glass replacement.
 Public comment will be taken
5. Subcommittee Reports
 A. Governance/Board Development (Berke, Dennehy)
 1. Committee chairs to share updates
 2. Consideration to cancel December meeting
 B. Acquisitions (Formerly "Gifts") Subcommittee (Cole, Hrenko, Zagaria)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates
 C. Communications Subcommittee (Motter, Berke, Gibbs)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates
 D. Collection Management (Formerly "Site Selection") Subcommittee (Dennehy, Gibbs,
 Berke, Zagaria)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates.
6. Project Reports
 A. Conservation Projects
 1. Conservation assessment by Tuckerbrook Conservation LLC: Staff will provide an
 update on the schedule for performing the service.
 B. Maintenance Projects: No updates
 C. Portland Harbor Common new acquisition subcommittee (Dennehy, Cole, Levesque and
 Zagaria)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates.
7. Public Comment Period on Non-Agenda Items
8. Other Business
9. Meeting Adjourns

Next Meeting - December 17, 2025

Anna Berke, Chair
 Sharon Dennehy, Vice-Chair
 Kat Zagaria Buckley
 Phoebe Cole
 Alison Gibbs
 Kelly Hrenko, City Manager appointee
 Justin Levesque
 Sarah Michniewicz, City Councilor
 Stephanie Motter
 John Whipple
 Ronnie Wilson, Creative Portland appointee

 Management & Administration
 Sean King, Urban Designer with Planning & Urban
 Development Department


 PORTLAND PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE
 Wednesday, November 19, 2025
 4:00 PM Hybrid Meeting (in person or online via Zoom link)
 City Hall, Room 209, 389 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101

1. Zoom Meeting Information
 Due to the existence of an emergency or urgent issue the Portland Public Art Committee will conduct this
 meeting by remote methods/technology at the Zoom link provided below, in accordance with the
 requirements of 1 M.R.S. section 403-B and the City Council's Remote Participation Policy.

 Allow your computer to install the free zoom app to get the best meeting experience. For more information
 on how to use Zoom, please go to: https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/18148b5d-f26e-472f-8d2c-
 245db97e5c27?. Public comment will be taken; written comments may be submitted to
 publicart@portlandmaine.gov

 Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/j/81634418875
 Or One tap mobile : US: +19292056099,,81634418875# or +13017158592,,81634418875#
 Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
 US: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1
 346 248 7799
 Webinar ID: 816 3441 8875
 International numbers available: https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/u/kcytm2arCM

2. Call to Order

 • Roll call
 • Review and approve minutes from October 15, 2025 meeting.

3. Staff Updates
 A. Public art fund balance: No reductions
 Presenter: Sean King
 No public comment will be taken
 B. Encumbrances for new acquisitions of public art: No updates


 Page 1
 Presenter: Sean King
 No public comment will be taken
 C. Collection updates
 Presenter: Sean King
 1. Gorham Corner: The Committee recommended a relocation of the granite posts
 arranged around the perimeter of the John Ford statue during the October 15, 2025
 meeting. Staff shared a diagram that is under review by the Public Works Department to
 consider winter maintenance associated with the preferred relocation of granite posts at the
 intersection of York St. and Pleasant St.
4. New Business
 A. Portland Harbor Common: A request for proposal (RFP) has been developed by the new
 acquisition subcommittee to commission artwork for a new waterfront park on the Eastern
 Waterfront. The Committee reviewed a draft of the RFP during its October 15, 2025
 meeting. Staff recommends that the Committee make a motion to approve the draft RFP and
 authorize staff to proceed with the advertising process.
 Public comment will be taken

 B. Jewel Box bus shelter: Review and discussion of a request to use PPAC funds to replace
 glass damaged by corrosive graffiti, and a broader discussion regarding the future maintenance
 and upkeep of the shelter. Staff recommends that the Committee approve the use of existing
 PPAC funds to cover the cost of glass replacement.
 Public comment will be taken
5. Subcommittee Reports
 A. Governance/Board Development (Berke, Dennehy)
 1. Committee chairs to share updates
 2. Consideration to cancel December meeting
 B. Acquisitions (Formerly "Gifts") Subcommittee (Cole, Hrenko, Zagaria)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates
 C. Communications Subcommittee (Motter, Berke, Gibbs)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates
 D. Collection Management (Formerly "Site Selection") Subcommittee (Dennehy, Gibbs,
 Berke, Zagaria)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates.
6. Project Reports
 A. Conservation Projects
 1. Conservation assessment by Tuckerbrook Conservation LLC: Staff will provide an
 update on the schedule for performing the service.
 B. Maintenance Projects: No updates
 C. Portland Harbor Common new acquisition subcommittee (Dennehy, Cole, Levesque and
 Zagaria)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates.
7. Public Comment Period on Non-Agenda Items
8. Other Business
9. Meeting Adjourns

Next Meeting - December 17, 2025


 Page 2
 Anna Berke, Chair
 Sharon Dennehy, Vice-Chair
 Kat Zagaria Buckley
 Phoebe Cole
 Alison Gibbs
 Kelly Hrenko, City Manager appointee
 Justin Levesque
 Sarah Michniewicz, City Councilor
 Stephanie Motter
 John Whipple
 Ronnie Wilson, Creative Portland appointee

 Management & Administration
 Sean King, Urban Designer with Planning & Urban Development Department

 PORTLAND PUBLIC ART COMMITTEE
 October 15, 2025 Meeting Minutes
 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. HYBRID (in person or online via Zoom link)
 City Hall – Room 209, 389 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101

 Due to the existence of an emergency or urgent issue the Portland Public Art Committee will conduct
 this meeting by remote methods/technology at the Zoom link provided below, in accordance with the
 requirements of 1 M.R.S. section 403-B and the City Council's Remote Participation Policy.

 Allow your computer to install the free zoom app to get the best meeting experience.

 For more information on how to use Zoom, please go to:
 https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/18148b5d-f26e-472f-8d2c-245db97e5c27?cache=1800 Public

 Public comment will be taken; written comments may be submitted to publicart@portlandmaine.gov

 Please click the link below to join the webinar:
 https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/j/81634418875
 Or One tap mobile : US: +19292056099,,81634418875# or +13017158592,,81634418875#
 Or Telephone: Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
 US: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782
 or +1 346 248 7799
 Webinar ID: 816 3441 8875
  International numbers available: https://portlandmaine-gov.zoom.us/u/kcytm2arCM
 ------------
1. Call to Order (Berke) @ 4:07
 + Roll call. Committee members present – Berke, Dennehy, Zagaria, Cole, Hrenko, Levesque, Motter,
 Whipple, Wilson), Committee members absent – Gibbs, Michniewicz

 + September 17, 2025 meeting minutes. Motion to approve (Whipple), Second (Zagaria), All
 approved by a show of hands

2. Staff Communications (King)
 A. Public art fund balance – Reduction of $3,560 for Rustle Dyptich II lighting installation.
 B. Encumbrances for new acquisitions of public art – No updates

3. New Business
 A. Gorham’s corner roadway improvement project – Discuss the proposed relocation of the six
 granite posts around the John Ford sculpture within the public art collection. In addition, The City is

 Page 3
 hosting a public meeting to gather feedback and concerns from the public, scheduled for
 Thursday, October 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM in the Kippy Richardson Conference Room 24 on the
 basement level in City Hall. The Committee recommended a tighter grouping to maintain the
 relationship of engraved text on the granite posts with the sculpture of John Ford. Staff will provide
 Committee recommendations to Public Works Staff.
4. New Business & Subcommittee Reports
 A. Governance/Board Development (Berke, Dennehy)
 1. Annual plan report FY25 & Proposed budget FY26 presented to City Council on October
 6, 2025. City Council voted unanimously (7-0, Councilor Fournier & Sykes were absent)
 to approve the annual report and proposed budget.

 B. Acquisitions (Formerly “Gifts”) Subcommittee (Cole, Hrenko, Zagaria)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates. Subcommittee member introduced the
 Italian Heritage Center efforts to draft language for the plaque attached to sculpture.
 The subcommittee will continue to provide updates to the Committee, which may
 include progress of the artwork design and plaque language by the donor.

 C. Communications Subcommittee (Motter, Berke, Gibbs)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates.

 D. Collection Management (Formerly “Site Selection”) Subcommittee (Dennehy, Gibbs, Berke,
 Zagaria)
 1. Subcommittee members to share updates.

5. Project Reports

 A. Conservation Projects – No priority projects
 B. Maintenance Projects
 1. Rustle Diptych II – Staff from Parks, Cemetery Division and Public Works Traffic
 Division assisted with the installation of new conduit and power to facilitate the new
 inground light fixtures by electrical contractor Casco Bay Electric on September 26th.

 C. Harbor Common new acquisition subcommittee – (Dennehy, Cole, Levesque & Zagaria)
 1. Progress on Request for Proposal (RFP) with City Staff for a potential new acquisition
 located within the future park, known as “Portland Harbor Commons” on the Eastern
 Waterfront. More information on the Parks Department project here -
 https://portland.civilspace.io/en/projects/portland-harbor-common.
 Committee members introduced the artwork RFP, discussion centered on language
 included in the design brief, parameters, and budget. Specific recommendation by the
 Committee were to replace “up to” $150,000 with “at the discretion of the public art
 committee”, include a $1,000 stipend for finalist as an artist fee to present their final
 artwork proposals. The Committee directed the RFP to include a maintenance plan to
 allow an assessment of total maintenance costs. The Committee recommended that
 next steps would be to incorporate changes and review final RFP at the November 19,
 2025 meeting.

6. Public Comment No members of the public present

7. Other Business

8. Meeting adjourns at 5:15pm

 Page 4
FY26 - Public Art Fund (July 2025-June 2026)
TOTAL PPAC Balance
 A Total Balance (includes FY26) $ 408,661.05
 B Total Encumberances $ 202,172.00
 C Remaining Balance $ 206,489.05

Remaining Encumbrances from approved budget plans
 Activity Description Budget
 A Congress Square Public Art New Commission - Sarah Sze artist $ 176,000.00
 B Bramhall Square Artwork New Commission - Chris Miller artist $ 26,172.00
 Total Encumbered $ 202,172.00

F26 - Proposed Budget Breakdown
 Activity Description Proposed FY26 Budget Current Budget Balance

 To cover the five-year Collection conservation
 assessment, lighting assessment and complete
 A Conservation and Maintenance conservation projects identified as highest priority $ 10,000 $ 10,000.00
 To cover repairs, theft, relocation, Community Art
 B Contingency Fund grant, plaque purchase, etc. $ 5,000 $ 1,440.00

 C Community Artwork grants To contribute to a community artwork project(s) $ 5,000 $ 5,000.00
 C New Artwork New public artwork acqusitions $ 30,000 $ 30,000.00
 Total FY26 Budget $ 50,000 $ 46,440.00




 FY26 Expenses Funding Source Total (PAID) Project Notes
 CBE Contigency $ 3,560.00 Lights and conduit installation at Rustle Dyptich




 Subtotal Expenses $ 3,560.00




 Page 5
 Anna Berke, Chair
 Sharon Dennehey, Vice Chair
 Kat Zagaria Buckley, Chair pro tempore
 Phoebe Cole
 Alison Gibbs
 Kelly Hrenko, City Manager appointee
 Justin Levesque
 Sarah Michniewicz, City Councilor
 Stephanie Motter
 John Whipple
 Ronnie Wilson, Creative Portland appointee

 Management & Administration
 Sean King
 Urban Designer, Planning Division




 PUBLIC ART DESIGN BRIEF
 Portland Harbor Common Public Art Commission 2025

Introduction
The Portland Public Art Committee (PPAC) announces an open call for artists to submit qualifications for
a new public artwork commission for the newly designed Portland Harbor Common Park in Portland,
Maine.

Organization Overview
The Portland Public Art Committee preserves, restores, and enhances the City’s public art collection. The
Committee’s objective is to promote the educational, cultural, economic, and general welfare of the City
and its citizens through art. Eleven Portland residents and/or Portland-based professionals comprise the
voting members of the Committee. Eight members are appointed by Portland’s City Council to serve a
period of three years and are selected based on experience related to public art, including but not limited
to experience as architects, landscape architects, professional curators, professional artists, and/or
educators. The remaining three members of the PPAC include one City Councilor, a member of Creative
Portland, and a member recommended by the City Manager. The PPAC has a goal to include public art
when possible to enhance City of Portland infrastructure projects.

Design Brief
The PPAC seeks to commission a work of art that honors, reflects, and celebrates the city’s distinctive
sense of place.

For millennia, the place we now call Portland has relied on its ties to the sea for sustenance, commerce,
and our sense of belonging. Water surrounds the peninsula where our community is situated and is an
integral part of our identity; it tethers our present community to our neighbors of the past and future.

A sense of place is more than topography; we welcome submissions that draw on themes of the
interaction of water, land, and people, and seek work that considers this intersection’s past, present, and
future.




 Page 6
 Anna Berke, Chair
 Sharon Dennehey, Vice Chair
 Kat Zagaria Buckley, Chair pro tempore
 Phoebe Cole
 Alison Gibbs
 Kelly Hrenko, City Manager appointee
 Justin Levesque
 Sarah Michniewicz, City Councilor
 Stephanie Motter
 John Whipple
 Ronnie Wilson, Creative Portland appointee

 Management & Administration
 Sean King
 Urban Designer, Planning Division




Portland Harbor Common Park: Background and Vision
Portland’s City Council adopted the India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan on November 2, 2015
with a vision to cultivate the future of the India Street Neighborhood. This neighborhood plan outlined
development principles to enhance neighborhood identity, diversity, local economy, growth, connectivity,
climate resilience, and public open space and amenities. Among the recommendations in this
neighborhood plan is the enhancement of the India Street corridor and termination at the Eastern
Waterfront. In 2021, the City held several public forums to gather community feedback on introducing
Phase 1 of Portland Harbor Common, a new public green space. Following a public engagement process,
the City prepared a request for proposals for design consultants. Sebago Technics was awarded the park
design contract in 2023 to reimagine the conversion of a surface parking lot into a publicly accessible
park space, featuring accessible pathways, landscape areas, a multi-purpose lawn, and pedestrian
access to the water’s edge. Upon completion of the construction documents and state and local
permitting, the project was bid for construction and awarded in 2025, with a projected start date in Fall
2025.

The Park is a transitional space between Portland’s harbor and the Old Port neighborhood, and is within a
short walking distance of shopping and restaurants. Thames Street begins at the terminus of Commercial
Street, a street of significant activity on the waterfront that accommodates tourists, waterfront workers,
hospitality staff, and residents alike. The Park will be located next to the Ocean Gateway parking lot,
which accommodates passengers boarding and disembarking from Casco Bay Lines, serving visitors,
residents, and workers in Portland’s island communities. As a focal point feature, a public art installation
is planned at the Park’s Western entrance, at the terminus of India Street. The site area for public artwork
is circular and bordered with cobblestone edging.


Design Parameters
Public artwork in Portland Harbor Common Park shall:

 ● Be designed with consideration of 360-degree viewing
 ● Be consistent in scale and materials with Portland Harbor Commons design concept and site
 conditions
 ● Be durable with a life span of at least 20 years
 ● Be easily maintained
 ● Be placed at the aforementioned rotunda location

The committee encourages proposals that embrace experimentation, boldness, and inventive approaches
to form, material, and meaning.

Fountains or any other type of water feature will not be considered.




 Page 7
 Anna Berke, Chair
 Sharon Dennehey, Vice Chair
 Kat Zagaria Buckley, Chair pro tempore
 Phoebe Cole
 Alison Gibbs
 Kelly Hrenko, City Manager appointee
 Justin Levesque
 Sarah Michniewicz, City Councilor
 Stephanie Motter
 John Whipple
 Ronnie Wilson, Creative Portland appointee

 Management & Administration
 Sean King
 Urban Designer, Planning Division




Base Assumptions

 ● Artwork shall be installed during the construction of the park, which is tentatively scheduled for
 substantial completion by November 2026. Coordination of any structural foundation is
 recommended to occur at the beginning of the artwork fabrication phase, in July 2026.
 ● Keeping in mind tenets of safe public space design:
 ○ Artwork should provide for public interaction and should not include potential hazards
 ○ Artwork should not interfere with the sidewalk or park circulation or function
 ● Artist(s) may be required to coordinate with the landscape architect, general contractor, or other
 consultants for the final design
 ● Depending on the design, the artist(s) may be required to seek review or approval from a
 structural engineer or other certification of structural stability/safety
 ● Artwork will be evaluated by the City conservator, and the artist(s) will be required to provide a
 maintenance plan upon delivery of the final artwork.
 ● Work with stakeholders, including City departments, neighborhood and arts organizations,
 residents, property owners, or businesses as appropriate, to exhibit public artwork conceptual
 design.
 ● Artwork will be original in concept and imagery, executed by the artist. Artificial tools if used must
 be disclosed, with rationale.


Location
Artwork must be sited at the designated location detailed in the attachments.

Public artwork should not:

 ● Occupy or impede sidewalk circulation on the perimeter of the rotunda
 ● Prevent use of or circulation through the park as shown on approved design plans
 ● Disrupt stormwater treatment function of landscape plan – coordination may be required to modify
 materials to account for the placement of artwork

Public artwork shall:

 ● Have radius of ~5–10 ft
 ● Be designed for viewing in the round, also surrounded by landscaping
 ● Be constructed with utilities (existing underground electrical, storm drain, sanitary lines)
 specifications in mind, details to be provided to the artist by the City




 Page 8
 Anna Berke, Chair
 Sharon Dennehey, Vice Chair
 Kat Zagaria Buckley, Chair pro tempore
 Phoebe Cole
 Alison Gibbs
 Kelly Hrenko, City Manager appointee
 Justin Levesque
 Sarah Michniewicz, City Councilor
 Stephanie Motter
 John Whipple
 Ronnie Wilson, Creative Portland appointee

 Management & Administration
 Sean King
 Urban Designer, Planning Division




Scope of Work
The art commission scope includes design/artist fee, fabrication, transportation, installation or installation
oversight, and any lighting specific to the artwork. The allocated budget for this project is up to $150,000,
with the potential for additional funds at the discretion of the Public Art Committee.

Selection Process
Artists will be evaluated by an ad hoc selection committee composed of Public Art Committee members,
neighborhood representatives, and the park landscape architect.

Round 1 – Open Call for artists

 ● Interested artists will submit qualifications as listed below in the Submittal Requirements
 ● Artists will be evaluated based on the Artist Selection Criteria; Finalists will be selected to
 continue to Round 2

Round 2 – Finalist Proposals

 ● Finalists will be notified and invited to develop a concept with a proposed budget for the Portland
 Harbor Park artwork ($1,000 stipend provided)
 ● Finalists will present their concept and answer questions with the selection committee
 ● Final proposal will include a presentation with visual aids and address specific questions from the
 committee

Timeline
December 2025 – Open call for artist qualifications
February 11, 2026 – Deadline for artist submissions
March 2026 – Review of submissions, notification of finalists
March – April 2026 – Finalists develop concept proposals
May 20, 2026 – Finalists present proposals to the selection committee
June 2026 – Final artist selected
July - October 2026 - Artwork fabrication phase
November 2026 - Artwork installation

Artist Selection Criteria
The Portland Public Art Committee is dedicated to collaborating with the local arts community to develop
an inclusive public art program. We hope to serve, celebrate, and represent the diverse and ever-
changing population of Portland by extending opportunities to those of all racial, ethnic, and cultural
backgrounds; gender identities; sexual orientations; ages; and abilities. We encourage all to apply.




 Page 9
 Anna Berke, Chair
 Sharon Dennehey, Vice Chair
 Kat Zagaria Buckley, Chair pro tempore
 Phoebe Cole
 Alison Gibbs
 Kelly Hrenko, City Manager appointee
 Justin Levesque
 Sarah Michniewicz, City Councilor
 Stephanie Motter
 John Whipple
 Ronnie Wilson, Creative Portland appointee

 Management & Administration
 Sean King
 Urban Designer, Planning Division




Transparency Statement
The PPAC is committed to a transparent and inclusive selection process. Whether or not your
submission is chosen for the next phase, we will keep all applicants informed of project
developments via the contact information provided.

We are not able to provide individual feedback to submissions.

Artists will be evaluated on:

 ● Experience in creating permanent outdoor works of art
 ● Project feasibility
 ● Portfolio of relevant work that aligns with the vision for Portland Harbor Common Park
 ● Proximity to Maine, with a preference for Maine artists, artists with community ties to Maine, or a
 demonstrated connection to Maine

Submittal Requirements
To be considered, please submit the following:

 1. Letter of interest (750 words maximum) that:
 ○ Conveys an understanding of the project goals and parameters
 ○ Conveys an understanding of the context and the community into which the artwork will
 be sited
 ○ Answers the questions
 i.  How does your experience and practice relate to the proposed artwork?
 ii.  In what ways does your practice reflect or reimagine Portland’s deep ties to the
 land and the sea?
 iii.  What is your connection to Maine (residency, cultural, professional, or personal)
 and how does it inform your perspective on public art in Portland?
 2. Resume or Curriculum Vitae (2 pages maximum)
 3. Examples of past work (5–10 images labeled with title, location, date, medium)

Submit materials via email in PDF format to publicart@portlandmaine.gov by 11:59 PM Wednesday,
February 11, 2026.

Resources

 ● Portland Public Art Program:
 https://www.portlandmaine.gov/560/Public-Art-Committee




 Page 10
 Anna Berke, Chair
 Sharon Dennehey, Vice Chair
 Kat Zagaria Buckley, Chair pro tempore
 Phoebe Cole
 Alison Gibbs
 Kelly Hrenko, City Manager appointee
 Justin Levesque
 Sarah Michniewicz, City Councilor
 Stephanie Motter
 John Whipple
 Ronnie Wilson, Creative Portland appointee

 Management & Administration
 Sean King
 Urban Designer, Planning Division




 ● Portland Harbor Commons Park:
 https://portland.civilspace.io/en/projects/portland-harbor-common

Attachments

 ● Portland Harbor Common Park design drawings
 ● Portland Harbor Common Park Plan with area for artwork outlined
 ● India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan




 Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
 India Street
 Sustainable Neighborhood Plan
 Portland, Maine
 ___

 Adopted by City Council, November 2, 2015




 Portland Starts Here . . .




Vision for India Street (at Middle Street) Image Credit: Richardson & Associates, Saco, ME




 Page 19
 Portland, Maine 2
 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan




Order 77-15/16
Postponed to 10/19/2015: 7-0 (Costa recused, Mavodones absent) on 10/5/2015
Postponed to 11/2/2015: 8-0 (Costa recused) on 10/19/2015
Passage: 8-0 (Costa recused) on 11/2/2015 Effective 11/12/2015
MICHAEL F. BRENNAN (MAYOR) DAVID H. BRENERMAN (5)
KEVIN J. DONOGHUE (1)
 CITY OF PORTLAND JILL C. DUSON (A/L)
DAVID A. MARSHALL (2) JON HINCK (A/L)
EDWARD J. SUSLOVIC (3) IN THE CITY COUNCIL NICHOLAS M. MAVODONES, JR (A/L)
JUSTIN COSTA (4)




 ORDER ADOPTING INDIA STREET SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
 AND AMENDING THE CITY’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN


ORDERED, that the India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan, attached hereto as Attachment A, is
 hereby adopted; and



BE IT FURTHER ORDERED, that the City's Comprehensive Plan is hereby amended to include the
 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan.




 Page 20
 Portland, Maine 3
 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan


 Acknowledgments
The India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan has been a widely collaborative effort over the course of
two years. This report was shaped and informed by many participants who deserve recognition for their efforts,
including the India Street Neighborhood Association, Sustain Southern Maine, the India Street Neighborhood
Advisory Committee and associated Working Groups, and of course, the community businesses, residents,
workers, organizations, institutions, and developers. Especially critical to the formulation of this neighborhood
plan is Hugh Nazor, president of the India Street Neighborhood Association. Without his ceaseless efforts to
bring attention to the neighborhood, this Plan would not exist.

In 2013, Portland became a participating city in the Urban Sustainability Accelerator (USA) technical assistance
grant through Portland State University, Oregon, which is funded through the Summit Foundation, Toulan
School of Urban Studies and Planning, Institute for Sustainable Solution at Portland State University, and the
participating cities. Special thanks to Robert Liberty for his enthusiastic support and valuable resources provided
through the course of this program. Especially valuable was the consulting work of Michele Reeves, Civilis
Consulting, Portland, Oregon.

The India Street Neighborhood Advisory Committee convened in the fall of 2013 to guide the neighborhood plan
development. City Councilor Kevin Donoghue and neighborhood resident and emeritus professor at the Muskie
School of Public Service Richard Barringer graciously offered their time as co‐chairs to this Council‐appointed
committee. Nineteen members were appointed to this group with wide‐ranging expertise and areas of insight;
without their time and efforts this plan would not have reached its successful conclusion. Many active and
enthusiastic members of the community volunteered to participate in Working Groups in order to brainstorm,
strategize, and craft recommendations for the final plan. Many thanks again to all of these members of the
India Street and greater Portland community who gave of their time and expertise to craft this plan.

Additional resources and support were provided by key neighborhood organizations. One central to this process
was the Portland Society for Architecture which hosted meetings, provided professional advice and
collaboration, and financial resources that were especially crucial in the City’s participation in the USA technical
assistance grant and the subsequent consulting services of Michele Reeves. The Maine Jewish Museum
generously provided for the use of their facilities throughout the course of the planning process. Professor
Yuseung Kim of USM’s Muskie School of Public Service and the students in his Planning Workshops made
significant contributions to our work with the creation of a 3d model of the neighborhood and the study,
Portland Starts Here: India Street Neighborhood Recommendations, available at
http://www.portlandmaine.gov/1114/India‐Street

It must be noted that many dedicated City staff members orchestrated and ushered along this complex process.
Recognition is due to Planning Division Director Alex Jaegerman, Senior Planner Bill Needelman (who has since
become the Waterfront Coordinator), Urban Designer Caitlin Cameron, and Historic Preservation Program
Manager Deb Andrews who led the effort. Additional support was provided by Mary Davis, Housing and
Community Development Division Director, Nelle Hanig, Business Programs Manager, Bruce Hyman, Bicycle and
Pedestrian Program Coordinator, and Doug Roncarati, Stormwater Program Coordinator.




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India Street Neighborhood City Council
Advisory Committee Michael Brennan, Mayor
 Kevin Donoghue, District 1
Richard Barringer, Co‐Chair
 David Marshall, District 2
Councilor Kevin Donoghue, Co‐Chair
 Edward Suslovic, District 3
Hilary Bassett
 Justin Costa, District 4
Beth Boepple
 David Brenerman, District 5
Carol De Tine
 Jill Duson, At Large
Tom Federle
 Jon Hinck, At Large
Bethany Field
 Nicholas Mavodones, At Large
Arthur Fink
Ani Helmick
Bobbi Keppel
Alan Kuniholm Planning Board
Ethan Boxer Macomber
Joe Malone Stuart O’Brien, Chair
Brandon Mazer Elizabeth Boepple, Vice Chair
Linda Murnik David Eaton
Hugh Nazor Sean Dundon
Arlin Smith Bill Hall
Timothy Wilson Carol Morrissette
Kara Wooldrik Jack Soley



 Historic Preservation Board
 Scott Benson, Chair
 Bruce Wood, Vice Chair
 Penny Pollard
 John Turk
 Ted Oldham
 Julia Sheridan
 Glen Harmon




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Working Groups
Land Development/ Form‐based code Economy
Staff: Caitlin Cameron, Alex Jaegerman Staff: Nelle Hanig, Alex Jaegerman
Consultants: Stephanie Carver, GPCOG, and Consultant: Michele Reeves, Civilis Consulting
Ken Studtmann, Richardson & Associates Richard Barringer
Elizabeth Boepple Rachelle Curran
Carol De Tine Susie Kendeigh
Tom Federle Brandon Mazer
Arthur Fink Hugh Nazor
Alan Kuniholm Arlin Smith
Brandon Mazer Tim Wilson
Hugh Nazor
Jay Waterman
 City of Portland, Maine
Historic Preservation Department of Planning and Urban Development
Staff: Deb Andrews Jeff Levine, Department Head
Consultant: Julie Larry, Turk Tracey & Larry Alex Jaegerman, Planning Division Director
Architects Caitlin Cameron, Urban Designer
Hilary Bassett Deb Andrews, Historic Preservation Manager
Pamela Cummings Mary Davis, Housing and Community Development
Ed Gardner Division Director
Ani Helmick Bruce Hyman, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program
Joe Malone Coordinator
Linda Murnik
 Department of Economic Development
Infrastructure/ Landscape Planning Nelle Hanig, Business Programs Manager
Staff: Caitlin Cameron
Jennifer Claster Department of Public Works
Bobbi Keppel Doug Roncarati, Stormwater Program Coordinator
Kara Wooldrik
 Sustain Southern Maine
Equity/ Housing
Staff: Mary Davis, Alex Jaegerman Rebeccah Schaffner, Program Manager, GPCOG
Councilor Kevin Donoghue Carol Morris, President, Morris Communications
Jill Danaher Evan Richert, Town Planner, Richert Planning
Bethany Field Todd Richardson, Landscape Architect, Richardson &
David Loranger Associates
Ethan Boxer Macomber




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Table of Contents and Executive Summary
The India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan
Page 7. India Street Neighborhood Boundary Map
Page 8. Background – The Planning Process
Page 13. History – India Street Neighborhood
Page 19. Five Goals, Six Vision Statements
 G1. Vitality
 G2. Good Quality Design
 G3. Strong Neighborhood Identity that Builds on its Heritage
 G4. Diversity
 G5. Enhanced Mixed‐Use Nature of Neighborhood

 VS1: Sustainable Growth and Development
 VS2: A Neighborhood of Diverse Peoples
 VS3: An Authentic Neighborhood True to its Heritage
 VS4: A Fun, Industrious, Creative, Artisanal, and Prosperous Neighborhood
 VS5: A Healthy, Connected, and Active Neighborhood
 VS6: A Neighborhood of Strong Identity


Page 23. Thirteen Development Principles
 1. Strong Neighborhood Identity
 2. Diversity of Residents
 3. Neighborhood Heritage and Historic Preservation
 4. Mixed‐Use Neighborhood
 5. Vibrant Local Economy
 6. Retail Corridors
 7. Guided Growth
 8. Form of Development
 9. Compassionate and Supportive Community
 10. Connected Neighborhood
 11. Quality Infrastructure
 12. Ample Recreation and Open Space
 13. Responsive to Climate Change


Page 36. Implementation Plan




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Background – The Planning Process
The India Street neighborhood is situated on the burgeoning Portland peninsula, a beautiful waterside
location nestled between the Old Port and Munjoy Hill. As explained below, this area was the nucleus of
the birth of Portland as a colonial city, and the City has grown up around India Street. In the years
following 2010, this area began to experience development as the recession gradually gave way to
resurgent growth. Many large projects were proposed pre‐recession that did not come to fruition, and
several sizable projects – two hotels, a parking garage, and housing , to name a few – were constructed
that began to change the face of this neighborhood. Heavily influenced by downtown and the
waterfront, India Street emerged as a magnet for new development, and the community responded
with a request for focused planning to guide the future of the area, lest the market forces bring about
change that many observers and residents feared would be of a scale and character that does not reflect
the community’s aspirations.

Community leaders approached the City with this concern, that planning has focused all around this
neighborhood, along the waterfront, and in the downtown, but not on this neighborhood as a distinct
place, to explore its character and establish a vision for its growth and development. An effort to
address the specific issue of building heights along India Street was considered by the Planning Board in
June of 2012, and led to the recognition that a comprehensive planning initiative was the more
appropriate approach to take. The Planning Office was charged with leading this effort, in partnership
with the India Street Neighborhood Association. This planning process has proceeded in two phases.

The first phase began in earnest in January, 2013, with the selection of the India Street neighborhood as
a Center of Opportunity within the Sustain Southern Maine (SSM) regional planning program, a
consortium of Cumberland and York County communities that came together with funding from the U.S.
Department of Housing & Urban Development to create a sustainable growth plan for the region. India
Street was selected as a pilot community that represents opportunities for regional growth to occur in
established urban centers as a strategy to combat sprawl and revitalize our city centers. With a small
planning grant from SSM through the Greater Portland Council of Governments, we engaged with the
India Street community to create a vision for the India Street neighborhood. Highlights of this effort
included a Public Open House at the Jewish Heritage Museum in March, 2013, followed by a day‐long
workshop of three stakeholder small groups in April, 2013, to convert the ideas from the Open House in
to neighborhood planning concepts. This input was then synthesized by the planning and consulting
team into a series of reports and nine graphic products presenting an emergent neighborhood vision,
form, transportation, street systems, landscape, and open space. These were presented in two public
forums in June, and later in September, 2013.




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Emerging Vision: Sustain Southern Maine Conceptual Plan ‐ June, 2013




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The fall of 2013 marked the transition from the visioning work aided by SSM, to the planning production
phase marked by the collaboration with another technical assistance resource called the Urban
Sustainability Accelerator (USA), a new program created to help mid‐sized and smaller urban areas
implement sustainability projects, to move their proposals from a concept to reality. This program was
made possible through support of Portland State University’s Toulan School of Urban Studies and
Planning, the Institute for Sustainable Solutions, and a grant from the Summit Foundation. The timing
of this technical resource coincided with our ongoing efforts to create a plan for India Street. In
November, 2013 we established a stakeholder advisory committee, the India Street Neighborhood
Advisory Committee (ISNAC) appointed by the City Council, along with other interested citizens to assist
the Planning Office to complete the plan. ISNAC established five work groups to flesh out the plan:
Housing & Equity; Land Development & Form‐Based Code; Economic Development; Historic
Preservation; and Infrastructure & Landscape. These Work Groups met continuously from January
through July of 2014 to investigate issues and develop policy and implementation recommendations
within their assigned areas. The majority of the substance of this plan is credited to the hard work of
these citizen teams with their staff support. Each Work Group reported to the ISNAC on a monthly basis
on their findings and recommendations.

The technical assistance through the USA program was ongoing during this period and helped inform
the Work Groups in their areas of interest. Highlights include the three‐day consulting visit from
Michele Reeves, of Civilis Consultants, on February 11 – 13, 2014. Ms. Reeves generated a strong
recognition of the stage of India Street’s development, and the attributes that lend unique value to the
economy of the neighborhood as well as its intrinsic character. True to form, on the night of her final
presentation we experienced blizzard‐like conditions, so many who could not be there in person viewed
the video online. Other highlights included a week‐long visitation from a University of California, Davis
team headed by Professor Stephen Wheeler and three Landscape Architecture graduate students, who
studied the neighborhood and issued a report in December, 2013, Recommendations for a Sustainable
Neighborhood Plan that focused on environmental sustainability measures for India Street. Also during
this intensive working period, we had the benefit of our own University of Southern Maine through
Professors Yuseung Kim and Richard Barringer, whose Planning Workshop class produced a May, 2014
report, Portland Starts Here, which addresses place branding, economic development, and streetscape
recommendations.

In summary, this process relied on our own in‐house planning expertise, and the hard work of many very
dedicated neighborhood stakeholders who volunteered countless hours to the task. We had some
outside consulting and technical resources, where available and as needed, to round out and inform the
effort. We are very pleased to convey this plan, which is a tangible product with realistic objectives
grounded in an engaged community process.




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Finally, several concurrent planning efforts will have direct but still undetermined impacts on the India
Street neighborhood and this Plan.

Public Planning Processes:

  The Franklin Street Redesign Phase II is underway, the objective of which is to narrow the
 roadway, redesign intersections, and employ Complete Streets policies making the street safe
 and useable for all modes. The street will ideally take on a more active and urban character but
 the final results of this process remain to be determined. Considering the feedback received
 throughout the India Street planning process the neighborhood is most affected by the topics of
 connectivity and the reposition of the right‐of‐way. The Transportation Plan of the
 Comprehensive Plan states, “The City should promote the interconnection of neighborhood
 streets and pathways, so that there are multiple paths of travel to get to destinations within and
 between neighborhoods by foot and bicycle, as well as auto.” In keeping with the policy for an
 interconnected street network, the neighborhood would benefit from restoring connections to
 and in some cases across Franklin Street. At the very least, improved bicycle/pedestrian
 connections across Franklin Street are necessary and desired; reconnecting vehicular access to
 Franklin Street from one or both streets (Newbury and Federal) is desired if it can be done
 safely. If it is determined that no vehicular connection is to be provided at Federal or Newbury
 streets, remaining public space would be well‐suited as a public open space. It is not likely that
 the neighborhood would be satisfied to have no additional connections to Franklin Street.
 ISNAC assumes the premise that the neighborhood (and city) would benefit most from
 increasing the development opportunities within the neighborhood. The neighborhood would
 also benefit from active, urban uses along Franklin Street. Priority locations for development
 opportunities include the blocks between Middle and Congress Streets.
  Lincoln Park is undergoing a master plan process with future restoration and improvements
 proposed. The park is a potential open space asset to the India Street neighborhood. Currently,
 there is a lack of connectivity between the neighborhood and the park and an absence of
 liveliness and activity. ISNAC supports solutions that balance expansion of Lincoln Park with
 opportunities for development along the India Street neighborhood edge at Franklin Street. The
 ISNAC advocates for improved connections between the neighborhood and park, especially
 pedestrian and bicycle.

Private Development Projects:
  The Portland Company complex is undergoing a master plan process with proposed significant
 redevelopment and adaptive reuse of the historic property. Details about the uses and forms
 are undetermined at the adoption of this plan. As a large neighboring property, what happens
 on that site will impact the India Street neighborhood, potentially increasing the resident
 population, office and amenities, and foot and vehicular traffic past and through India Street.
  Munjoy South Townhouses is a low‐income housing development adjacent to the India Street
 neighborhood to the East. Developed post‐war as part of a city redevelopment strategy, this
 complex may be redeveloped in the future. It is not known whether future development on this
 site will remain affordable housing and what form and density it will take. This development is
 one of the larger affordable housing developments near the India Street neighborhood; its size,
 proximity, and affordability impact the development of the neighborhood in terms of growth,
 services, and transportation needs.




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Why a Sustainable Neighborhood Plan?
We have proposed this plan as a sustainable neighborhood plan. To understand this approach, it is
necessary to review the sustainability principles of Community, Economy, and Environment. Since the
City Council adopted the Sustainable Portland Plan in 2009, as part of our comprehensive plan, we have
endeavored to use the sustainability model in planning and policy making. Sustainable Portland offered
the final challenge to future policy makers:

 “To become a sustainable community, the City of Portland must commit to
 a continuous process of self-assessment and adaptation. When faced with
 decisions, our City government, residents, institutions, and businesses
 should ask a series of questions:
  Is this decision good for the environment, the economy, and the
 community?
  Is this good for the long-term?

 If the answers are “yes,” then the decision will move us toward becoming
 a more sustainable city.”
 Sustainable Portland – Incorporating Sustainability into Everyday Decision Making City of Portland, 2009,
 Portland Comprehensive Plan




Sustainability principles are imbedded throughout this planning process and plan. We have
incorporated the work by Sustain Southern Maine, which looks to urban neighborhood growth as vital to
a sustainable region. We have had the technical assistance from the Urban Sustainability Accelerator,
which, as the name suggests, seeks to promote sustainable practices in small cities across America. We
have looked deep into the neighborhood itself, to examine what is needed to sustain a vibrant, healthy,
prosperous future. We could call this a neighborhood development plan, or a neighborhood master
plan, or comprehensive plan. The title could change, but the imperative to plan affirmatively for a
healthy community, economy, and environment is paramount as we face the challenges and changes to
come. This plan touches upon these three factors and presents a balanced set of recommendations that
address each of them appropriately for this stage of development in this India Street neighborhood.

As a City Council‐adopted neighborhood plan, the India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan becomes
an adopted element of the city‐wide Comprehensive Plan. A Comprehensive Plan is a long‐range plan
that provides a policy framework to guide municipal decisions. Portland has conducted numerous long‐
range planning activities that have produced a variety of components of the Comprehensive Plan, which
include functional elements, such as the Transportation Plan, and strategic or geographic area plans, of
which this plan is an example.




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History – The India Street Neighborhood




 India Street Neighborhood in 1871

India Street has the distinction of being the first street in Portland and the center of the city’s earliest
settlement. Although little remains from this early chapter in the area’s history, the story of what
followed is compelling and unlike any other neighborhood in the city. The India Street and waterfront
area was the main commercial district of Portland prior to the Great Fire of 1866, when the core of the
downtown moved to the Old Port. As early as the 1820’s, the India Street Neighborhood was home to a
large community of African Americans. Later, it became the point of entry and first home to many of
the city’s newly‐arriving immigrant groups, including Irish, Italian, Jewish, and Scandinavian populations.
The neighborhood was the hub of intermodal transportation where shipping and ferries, trains, and land
transportation converged around the waterfront generating a center of activity. Newcomers found
stability working as laborers on the city’s waterfront, Grand Trunk Railroad, and nearby Portland
Company. As they became established, each group made its mark on the area, building impressive
 churches and synagogues and launching a wide range
 of small businesses and institutions. Public health
 facilities, including a milk dispensary and medical
 school, were built on India Street to address the
 needs of the residents. North School, the largest
 elementary school in the state when it was built,
 responded to the transitional nature of the


North School (1867)



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 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan

neighborhood by offering occupational training and other innovative programs designed specifically to
help the immigrant and first generation children it served.

The historic buildings that remain today tell the story of who lived
here and how this neighborhood evolved and functioned. Landmark
structures such as North School, the India Street Firehouse, and
numerous churches and synagogues are very important to the story.
So, too, are the modest wood frame houses owned by the founders
of the Abyssinian Meeting House, the triple‐deckers that housed
immigrant families, and the small commercial structures that were
built to serve the needs of a self‐contained neighborhood. Just as
the neighborhood’s remaining historic structures provide tangible
evidence of its history, they also establish the strong and appealing
visual character of the area.

 Abyssinian Meeting House (1828)

Since the mid‐20th century, the neighborhood has lost a number of key landmarks, including the Grand
Trunk Station and the house where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born, at the corner of Fore and
Hancock streets. Once‐dominant population groups have moved on to other parts of the city, leaving
the neighborhood with just a few hundred households. Insensitive alterations to historic structures and
the clearing of older buildings for surface parking lots and discordant new construction have diminished
the character of the neighborhood. The most dramatic change, of course, was the construction of the
Franklin Arterial, which entailed the removal of many homes and commercial structures at the western
end of the neighborhood, and severed what had been a seamless transition to the downtown core. The
removal of homes and construction of Munjoy South public housing on Mountfort Street created
another abrupt boundary to the neighborhood where there previously had been none.




 Franklin Arterial (1967) changes the neighborhood, creates disconnected conditions




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 Notwithstanding these losses, the neighborhood retains
 numerous elements of its past that warrant recognition and
 preservation. This historic building fabric could also inform
 the scale and character of new development, which would
 result in a lively mix of new and old within a distinctive,
 human scale, mixed‐use neighborhood.

 An older, downtown adjacent neighborhood such as India
 Street has assets that significantly outweigh its challenges. In
 addition to the cultural significance of the historic
 neighborhood, today’s market values historic architectural
 fabric that provides a human‐scale foundation for future
 development. Significant parcels, including those formerly in
 industrial use, are vacant or underused and inviting for
 redevelopment. As an existing urban neighborhood, it enjoys
A mix of different building types on Congress St a relatively complete infrastructure that is ripe to support
 revitalization. The historic street grid is walkable and
contributes both to quality of life and to market value for the land uses served by it. Multi‐modal
transportation services, both existing and potential, create choices for those who want to live or work in
or to visit the neighborhood. This mixed‐use neighborhood with proximity to downtown already has a
core mix of residential and commercial uses, including long‐standing uses that are well recognized and
loved, and may serve as springboards to additional development. The most important characteristic of
all, however, is the prevalence and importance of people; the neighborhood is the product of the people
who have been here, past and present, and this plays a key role in shaping the future of the India Street
neighborhood.




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Assets to Build Upon Challenges to Face
   Cultural Heritage – Portland starts here!  A Lack of Clear Identity – The neighborhood
   Historic – Landmark buildings and a historic lacks a clear identity and has never before
 building fabric been the subject of a neighborhood plan
   Adjacent – Waterfront, Residential  The Constraints of Past Land Uses – Industrial
 neighborhoods, Downtown, Ferry and Cruise uses, many now defunct, were common in
 terminals neighborhoods like this, with brownfield and
   Shop Local – Destination and landmark stores; clean‐up costs associated with them
 Small, independent business and  Scale of Development – Large development
 entrepreneurial culture; Truly mixed‐use sites have resulted in recent redevelopment
   Food Destination – Many restaurants that that does not comport well with the desires of
 draw people from all over the city and region neighborhood residents and businesses,
   Accessible – Walkable, bus connections, ample historic buildings, and neighborhood character
 parking, good biking streets, ferry terminal in height or scale
   Geographic Advantage – The neighborhood  Disconnected – The neighborhood edges have
 slopes to the waterfront, providing views been seriously altered and/or sealed off
   Development Possibilities – Many
 development opportunities of varying scale




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Assets in the India Street neighborhood and surrounds




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Goals and Vision Statements
 The India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan is framed by
 five Goals and six Vision Statements . . .




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 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan




Vision: Cultivating the Future of the India Street Neighborhood

Vision Statement 1: Sustainable Growth immediate proximity to housing, jobs,
and Development ‐ The India Street commerce, and services. Over the course of
neighborhood is on the cusp of substantial more than two years, this neighborhood has
growth and development that will firmly pulled together property owners, residents, and
establish its place in the city and region for associated stakeholders and community
decades to come. It is poised for growth, and members who care deeply about how this
has chosen to shape that growth to its singular neighborhood will evolve and develop. This
character and heritage. It is fitting that this plan is the result of their efforts and hard work.
neighborhood welcomes a share of the growth It presents the vision, principles, and strategies
that is happening in greater Portland, given its to welcome the right form and shape of growth
adjacency to downtown and the waterfront, its and development that will bring this
walkability, its access to transit, its in‐place transitioning neighborhood to maturity.
infrastructure, and its strong mix of and




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 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan

 Vision Statement 3: An Authentic
 Neighborhood True to its Heritage –
 Portland’s first street was India Street, and it is a
 point of pride and identity that this
 neighborhood set the stage for Portland’s
 growth and development. Vestiges of this
 history abound, from the religious institutions
 to the civic and industrial buildings, to the
 vernacular working class houses on Federal and
 Newbury and Hampshire streets. These
Vision Statement 2: A Neighborhood of features distinguish the neighborhood from
Diverse Peoples – India Street is and always others, adding to the mix of peninsula
has been diverse, and we wish it to remain so. neighborhoods with a unique community fabric.
Histories of immigrant communities – landing This heritage creates a sense of responsibility to
here and gaining a foothold, and making their protect the traces of the past as well as positing
way in America – have left a durable imprint a form and pattern for future growth that is
that we celebrate. Maintaining diversity means recognizable as India Street. We invite
conscious efforts to welcome all kinds of new development into our neighborhood, as it is
arrivals: whether they be move‐up urbanists essential to its vitality and to fill its voids,
who can live anywhere and choose India Street particularly in the southern section below
for its location; or new arrivals continuing the Middle Street where there is much vacant land
traditional role of this neighborhood, and surface parking. And we will insist that new
welcoming new immigrants who above all need development add to the indigenous structure of
affordable housing and convenient access to this neighborhood by demonstrating an
jobs and services; young singles and small incremental and varied street, lot, and block
households who are embarking on adult life and pattern. The scale of development may grow
value the social landscape and access to all that but the form must reflect the attributes that
Portland has to offer; working families striving typify and reinforce the fabric of this
to live responsibly by choosing a compact urban neighborhood.
neighborhood where one can afford to live and
maintain a low carbon footprint; or an aging
population wishing for an active life and access
to Portland’s amenities, activities, restaurants,
and services. Any and all of these are welcome
to make India Street home, and become part of
our community.




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 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan

Vision Statement 4: A Fun, Industrious, sidewalks and passageways, good lighting and
Creative, Artisanal, and Prosperous streetscape furnishings, public art, and intuitive
Neighborhood – The sidewalks are full of life wayfinding strategies – we will embrace these
and commerce. Within a five minute walk assets and enlist them more fully into the life of
multiple food products are prepared, sold, the neighborhood. Street connectivity remains
consumed, and savored. Local businesses are a fundamental challenge especially in
mostly home grown and provide authenticity to connecting to and across Franklin Street for all
the neighborhood ‐ the regional brew house, modes, with a pedestrian and bicycle priority.
the bakers, the textile and furniture designers, Pedestrian connections throughout the
the grocers, the coffee houses, and restaurants. neighborhood need improvements that will
Amato’s, one of Maine’s few chain enable visitors and residents alike to feel
establishments, was founded here on India comfortable navigating the area and accessing
Street around 1902. We will build on this surrounding amenities.
cluster of commercial activity on the core retail
streets and create a continuous “trail of
crumbs” for visitors and residents to follow
from the Old Port and the waterfront, from
Commercial Street to Congress Street. We
expect that in this area all of the buildings and
businesses will engage with the community
both visually and functionally, that there will be
a “conversation with the street,” and people
will enjoy being here and engaging in this
 Vision Statement 6: A Neighborhood of
dialogue.
 Strong Identity – We have learned a lot about
Vision Statement 5: A Healthy, ourselves and our place within the larger
Connected, and Active Neighborhood – community during this planning exploration of
The India Street Neighborhood provides the India Street Neighborhood. Our heritage,
opportunities for health and well‐being ranging our diversity, our industriousness, our unique
from health‐related services to recreation physical character, and our location on
amenities. Within a short walk are many Portland’s marvelous peninsula all constitute
recreation and open space assets: historic the unique and authentic identity, charm, and
Lincoln Park; the Eastern Promenade Trail that spirit of this community. These qualities and
caters to children, runners, bikers, strollers, characteristics contribute to our pride of place,
bladers, boarders, and those just out for a sense of belonging, and conception of an
scenic stroll; and a playground tucked into edge exceptional community. Portland Starts Here.
of Munjoy Hill off Mountfort Street. These We celebrate this and all it implies. We will
gems are now somewhat hidden from view and share this heritage and identity with the larger
access; but with some thoughtful interventions community, for us to enjoy, and for others to
– including generous and well‐designed appreciate.




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 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan


Thirteen Development Principles
1. Strong Neighborhood Identity
  Portland starts here in the India Street neighborhood; the spirit of this place will be reflected in its
  identity and character, distinct from Old Port and the Downtown. The story of India Street is long
  and compelling; now is the time to tell and celebrate it.

  The India Street Neighborhood presents a human‐scale, downtown‐adjacent neighborhood with
  commerce, light industry, authenticity, and community. What visitors and others are less aware of
  is its distinctive history – Portland’s first street and first neighborhood, early maritime connections,
  later industrial development, period architecture, religious and cultural diversity. The key principle
  here is to bring these unique characteristics and assets into closer connection and a cohesive
  neighborhood identity that will permeate the built environment as well as associated housing and
  business – all serving to strengthen and enhance the community.




2. Diversity of Residents
  People are at the very heart of all that India Street Neighborhood is about. It is characterized by
  diversity, past and present, in all meanings of the word – race, ethnicity, age, religion, ability,
  household size, and socio/economic status. For the future, the India Street neighborhood will
  continue to be a place known for its authentic diversity; and diversity of residents and activities will
  be encouraged and maintained.

  Two major factors contribute to neighborhood diversity: housing choice and affordability. The
  recent housing development trend in the neighborhood has been toward large condominium units,
  often catering to empty‐nester couples and part‐year residents. Left to themselves, market forces




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 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan

  alone will provide more of this housing type, while a balance of housing types is desired. The City is
  especially interested in development that will provide homes for families with children, and young,
  single workforce households. This should include rental units and a mix of efficiencies, one, two,
  and three‐bedroom units. As the neighborhood residential base grows, so too will the type of
  housing remain varied. Affordability will likewise be considered in development and policy
  decisions.




3. Neighborhood Heritage and Historic Preservation
  Unlike many other neighborhoods on the peninsula, the India Street neighborhood grew to become
  a strikingly diverse and self‐contained neighborhood, with its own “main street,” houses of worship,
  institutional buildings, and workshop industries that provided employment for minority groups that
  populated the area. While the neighborhood has lost significant elements of its past, much remains
  to tell its compelling story. The historic buildings that remain not only tell the story about how this
  neighborhood has evolved and functioned, but also contribute significantly to its unique character,
  scale, and patterns.

  Protecting and enhancing India Street’s historic building stock is essential if the area is to retain its
  authenticity and build a strong sense of place. Alterations to existing buildings, both historic and
  non‐historic, will be carefully considered so the neighborhood’s character will not diminish over
  time. Infill construction will be a clear product of its own time, and respect established
  development patterns that characterize the neighborhood.

  Opportunities to tell the neighborhood’s story, through interpretive signage or other means, will be
  fully explored and implemented. Understanding the history of the neighborhood will foster pride
  among local residents and businesses, and will enhance the visitor’s experience.


4. Mixed‐Use Neighborhood
  The India Street neighborhood is today truly a mixed‐use neighborhood with residences,
  businesses, offices, hotels, retail, and restaurants. The neighborhood plan should allow the mixed‐
  use nature of this neighborhood to continue and expand, with the goal of providing a fair and high
  quality of life for all manner of people.




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  Fostering a desirable and diverse neighborhood requires a certain level of services and
  neighborhood amenities. Important and interesting destinations, from places that supply
  necessities to those that supply entertainment, are within walking and bicycling distances. Real
  estate developments, policies, and economic development plans that maintain or grow the level of
  service and amenities for the neighborhood will be encouraged.


5. Vibrant Local Economy
  Businesses are important to the success of a mixed‐use neighborhood, and the vitality of the India
  Street Neighborhood economy impacts the city as a whole. The economic goals for the
  neighborhood are to grow employment opportunities and enhance economic vitality and
  sustainability.

  The India Street neighborhood draws people who recognize and enjoy its unique character and
  heritage. Those who visit or live in the neighborhood appreciate its authenticity, local artisan retail
  and eating establishments, and diverse cultural history. Building on these strengths through
  communication of identity, concentration of commercial uses, protection of the historic and
  human‐scaled built fabric, and stronger relationships within the neighborhood will attract greater
  numbers of visitors, residents, and businesses to the area and move the neighborhood towards its
  economic goals.


6. Retail Corridors
  The India Street Neighborhood is home to destination food and retail businesses, among Portland’s
  most popular. The beginnings of a retail corridor exist on India Street, the neighborhood’s main
  street, as well as on Congress and Commercial streets, and commercial uses are dispersed across
  the neighborhood. The neighborhood’s vitality will be heightened with more concentrated
  commercial activity – particularly restaurants and retail – along India and on Congress, Commercial,
  and Middle streets.

  Commercial Street is a popular pedestrian route and entry into Portland for cruise ship and ferry
  passengers. Enticing people to the India Street Neighborhood will depend, in part, on creating a
  continuous “chain of crumbs” leading from Commercial up India Street. This will require a phased
  approach, focusing first on recruiting to India Street new retail shops and restaurants, from
  Commercial up to Middle streets; and then continuing this effort along India all the way to Congress
  Street. People attract more people; by concentrating retail to strategic corridors the streets
  become more active and boost economic vitality. This strategy for the neighborhood retail
  environment will strengthen existing businesses and attract more visitors, residents, and
  businesses.




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7. Guided Growth
 The India Street neighborhood is an ideal place to target sustainable growth due to the availability
 of development sites and existing urban infrastructure. Sustainable growth is growth that occurs in
 an already‐established urban neighborhood, taking advantage of existing infrastructure and
 services. In the case of India Street, the vision is also for residential growth that supports the
 neighborhood. The district will accommodate a reasonable share of regional growth over the next
 25 years, based on its size and proximity to downtown; and gain critical mass that will support a
 diverse, vibrant, and mixed‐use urban neighborhood. The neighborhood desires a healthy mix of
 uses. The type of growth will be primarily residential with a substantial increase in housing units;
 there is already an ample supply of hotels developed. Growth will also come from increased
 density of smaller units of development rather than increased height. All of this growth will only
 add to its activity and vitality, promoting it as a vibrant neighborhood center within Portland.

 There are several areas in which this growth will be located. Due to availability and size of land,
 significant growth will occur on large redevelopment sites toward the waterfront. As an urban
 avenue, Franklin Street has valuable frontage along which new development will redefine the
 neighborhood’s edge and contribute to its identity as a desirable residential/mixed‐use district.
 Smaller infill developments will be strongly encouraged as a way to expand the capacity for
 neighborhood growth and test prospective housing unit types.


8. Form of Development
 Neighborhood growth will carefully consider of form and scale, with an emphasis on “human scale”
 development and good quality design. Graduation of form will vary by location so that future new
 development is appropriate to its surrounding context. Within intact historic streets, form is
 modulated to approximate surrounding building forms. In larger blocks presently dominated by
 surface parking, new buildings will be scaled proportionately to allow larger buildings with mass
 and scale designed to achieve a human scale street presence, protection of street view corridors,
 and varied and permeable block faces. The intended outcome will be a harmonious composition of
 new and old buildings that fit well together to create a lively fabric of modern and traditional
 building forms.

 The Importance of Form – The identity of a downtown adjacent neighborhood is dictated in large
 part by its scale and pedestrian‐friendly design. Critical elements include1:

  Relatively high residential density within a relatively small district, putting many people
 within walking distance of many activities and, for trips outside of the district, regular and
 reliable bus service with bus stops;



1
 These are drawn from the India Street Neighborhood workshop discussion, the City’s design manual, and
reference materials such as Ewing and Bartholomew, Pedestrian‐ and Transit‐Oriented Design (2013).




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  A fine‐grained mix of uses – both horizontal and vertical – that invite a flow of people at
 different times of the day, seven days a week;
  A street pattern with pedestrian‐scaled blocks. Longer blocks and larger buildings will be
 interrupted and made permeable by mid‐block pedestrian ways, alleys, or streets;
  Continuous sidewalks designed with universal access and widths scaled to the pedestrian
 activity of the street, to allow two couples walking in opposite directions to comfortably
 pass each other;
  Strong street walls with development placed close to the property line at street frontage
  Street‐oriented buildings, with commercial and mixed use buildings with “permeable”
 facades – front entrances and fenestration that relate to the street;
  Human‐scale buildings – neither so tall as to block a pedestrian’s cone of vision at four
 stories, nor so horizontally large or dominated by a single use as to discourage the casual
 interaction between pedestrians and a mix of uses along the street.


9. Compassionate and Supportive Community
  The India Street neighborhood continues a history of welcoming. A walk around the neighborhood
  reveals a plethora of services and resources ranging from immigrant and elderly services at Catholic
  Charities, resources for the homeless population at the Cathedral complex and Milestone, low‐
  income housing for the elderly at North School, education opportunities at the Portland Adult
  Education building, and abundant medical and mental health practices. The compassionate and
  supportive nature of this neighborhood will be encouraged to prosper; it will continue to be a
  hospitable landing place for those seeking opportunity in Portland whether it be a new immigrant
  resident or a fledgling economic enterprise. Efforts to make it accessible with connectivity, transit,
  and streetscape improvements will go a long way to foster this kind of community.


10. Connected Neighborhood
  A downtown‐adjacent neighborhood that is disconnected from its downtown is an undervalued and
  underutilized asset. The adjacent nature of this neighborhood is both unique and full of potential.
  India Street abuts many wondrous assets and resources – residential neighborhoods, the
  downtown district, and the waterfront. Connections to these nearby assets and amenities are
  fundamental to its economic vitality and greater quality of life. Services and opportunities – from
  jobs to entertainment to governmental services – will be improved by strengthening the
  connectedness of the neighborhood. From the point of view of the India Street neighborhood, the
  redesign of Franklin Street is driven in large part by the desire to re‐connect this neighborhood and
  the Downtown. The Transportation Plan of the Comprehensive Plan states, “The City should
  promote the interconnection of neighborhood streets and pathways, so that there are multiple
  paths of travel to get to destinations within and between neighborhoods by foot and bicycle, as
  well as auto.” Reconnecting dead‐end streets and formalizing well‐loved but informal connection
  points will help to knit the India Street neighborhood into the city.




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 India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan

The India Street neighborhood already has the fundamental characteristics of a walkable, bikeable
neighborhood and the additional advantage of being a transportation hub. The combination of
neighborhood adjacency and increased density reinforce the use of alternative transportation
modes, reducing dependency on automobiles and allows for the relaxing of parking requirements.
Improvements to the local street system, trail system, and transportation system will give priority
to connectivity on multiple scales ‐ connectivity to surrounding neighborhoods, connectivity to
neighboring assets such as Lincoln Park and the waterfront, and connectivity within the
neighborhood, itself. Emphasis will be on pedestrian, bicycle, and transit modes. The walkability of
the neighborhood, proximity to jobs on the Portland peninsula, and the availability of bus service
will reduce auto dependency. Increased density will support public transportation with shorter
time intervals, which, in turn encourages use and viability of the transit system.

Visual connections, especially to the waterfront, are another important type of connection.
Wherever possible, access to the waterfront – visual and physical – will be provided as a public
amenity. New development will be conscientious of its relationship to the water; view corridors
through public rights of way to the water will not be obstructed. Visibility to and from the
neighborhood, across Franklin Street and from the water and Commercial Street, will contribute to
the identity and presence of the neighborhood, serving to attract visitors as well as elevate the
relationship of the neighborhood with the rest of the city.




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11. Quality Infrastructure
  The streetscape and landscape play an important role in supporting the neighborhood identity and
  affording a comfortable, inviting, and human‐scaled environment. For infrastructure, emphasis will
  be placed on the experience one has travelling to and throughout the neighborhood, with
  Complete Streets as the adopted City strategy. The street grid and transportation infrastructure
  will be improved with priority given to pedestrian, bicycle, and transit modes. Strategies to
  improve the streetscape will include increased street trees and plantings, lighting, public restrooms,
  green infrastructure implementation, wider sidewalks and improved universal access in public right
  of ways, street furniture deployment, and a neighborhood‐wide analysis to evaluate the potential
  to underground utilities. Neighborhood identity will be reinforced through streetscape design
  elements with particular priority on India Street which will include street trees, public art, unique
  and cohesive street furniture, pavement options that have a storytelling or identity component, and
  gateway elements signaling entrances to the neighborhood.

  Vehicle parking, especially surface parking lots, will be de‐emphasized. On‐street parking, reduced
  off‐street parking requirements, modest off‐street lots, structured parking, and car‐sharing services
  will all be needed to satisfy demand. In the India Street neighborhood, the recent structured
  parking with excess space (as of 2013) was created to relieve some of the constraint that might
  otherwise exist and to facilitate development of surrounding parcels. Use of shared parking and
  utility infrastructure strategies will be encouraged.

  Finally, improvements to telecommunication infrastructure is crucial to making the India Street
  neighborhood and the city an attractive place to locate for residents and businesses who
  increasingly rely on internet access for quality of life and work.




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12. Ample Recreation and Open Space
  Open space is a most precious commodity in the small, urban India Street neighborhood. Open
  space amenities greatly enhance quality of life for residents and workers, make for a more
  attractive built environment, and create opportunities for community gathering and interaction.
  Every opportunity to improve or enhance public open spaces will be pursued. This principle
  addresses a guiding principle of the existing open space and recreation plan for the City of Portland,
  Green Spaces, Blue Edges:

  Neighborhoods form the foundation of Green Spaces, Blue Edges. The plan exists to serve the
  health and enjoyment of the neighborhood residents.

  Neighborhoods should have open space focal points
  Recreational opportunities should be available for all ages and genders
  Neighborhood open space should be within walking distance
  Portland residents appreciate their park system

  The neighborhood has three avenues to maximize the potential for open spaces of different types
  and uses: 1) Create new open spaces at the pumping station property, along Franklin Street, and at
  the foot of India Street, 2) Improve and maintain existing spaces (including private green spaces)
  within the neighborhood by implementing the Eastern Cemetery Master Plan, for example, and 3)
  Connect to surrounding open space amenities such as Lincoln Park, playgrounds in Peppermint Park
  and Adams Street, and the Eastern Promenade Trail.




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13. Responsive to Climate Change
  As a waterfront‐adjacent district, climate change is especially compelling to the India Street
  neighborhood. Adapting to sea‐level rise, reducing stormwater runoff, and mitigating heat island
  effect are especially important to address, as the neighborhood continues to develop and improve.
  Future plans for this district will consider such features as low‐impact design in public and private
  development, reduction in impervious surfaces and subsequent opportunity to increase greenery
  and street trees, flexible ground floor designs, and treatment of roof surfaces to reduce heat island
  effect and solar reflectance. Incremental changes, including modifying structures and facilities on
  the water’s edge to be more resilient to sea‐level rise, will be pursued by both public and private
  interests. The future India Street neighborhood will be a model to demonstrate that planning for
  climate change is a benefit to residents’, visitors’, and workers’ quality of life and the quality of the
  built environment.




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Implementation Plan
In order to implement the policies laid out in the India Street Sustainable Neighborhood Plan, twelve
Critical Actions have been drafted to form an Implementation Plan. Critical Actions are inter‐related
and high priority initiatives, representing the top one or two strategies from each India Street
Neighborhood Advisory Committee Working Group. These twelve Critical Actions are intended to guide
the City in measures that can be taken to fulfill the Plan principles and meet the "SMART" test
articulated by the City Council as part of its 2014 goal‐setting process:

 Specific
 Measurable
 Attainable
 Realistic
 Tangible

It is important to note that the Implementation Plan is meant to guide the City but will not be included
in the Comprehensive Plan as policy. These initiatives, taken individually and collectively, will help the
City to achieve the policies and objectives of this Plan, but each action will require individual review,
consideration, and decision‐making in light of the resources available and competing objectives of the
City at the time. It is not expected that each item will proceed exactly as prescribed, but that these
programs and initiatives, among others that might arise, will be considered in the implementation of this
Plan. The creation of these Critical Actions ensures the policy document – the India Street Sustainable
Neighborhood Plan – is translated into clear action and will have a beneficial, tangible impact.




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