Maine
maine's lighthouses inspire safdie architects with new district for historic portland
A Beacon in the Old Port
Safdie Architects’ design for Old Port Square in Portland, Maine begins with a question: how can a tall building belong in a low-rise, historic city? The answer comes in the form of a beacon — an architectural gesture rooted in the region’s maritime lineage. Rising 380 feet at 45 Union Street, the slender tower recalls Maine’s lighthouses, reinterpreted in glass, timber, and stone. Designed in collaboration with local developer East Brown Cow, the project aims not to rethread the urban fabric, long frayed by midcentury urban renewal.
The proposal is less about a single structure and more about the reassembly of a neighborhood. Encompassing four acres in the heart of the Old Port district, the masterplan introduces residences, hospitality, retail, and cultural spaces, while rehabilitating existing buildings and weaving new pedestrian paths into the historic grid. A timber-and-glass pavilion at 55 Union Street marks the western threshold, while a vaulted rooftop sky lobby crowns the tower, framing expansive views of Casco Bay and the White Mountains.
visualizations courtesy Safdie Architects
A Mixed-Use Vertical Neighborhood by Safdie architects
Safdie Architects’ tower draws on the visual weight and materiality of the 19th-century architecture across Portland, Maine. Its base is transparent and porous, with a 33-foot-high glazed plinth hosting dual lobbies and a café that spills into the square. Raised on pilotis, the building is both grounded and open, creating permeability at the pedestrian level. The palette and proportions echo the adjacent brick warehouses and cobbled streets, while the structure above shifts into lighter tones and forms, culminating in a vaulted lantern that nods to the lighthouse metaphor without replicating it.
The architects organize the development as a stacked sequence of programmatic layers. A 90-room hotel occupies the first nine floors above the base, followed by 14 levels of residences offering one- and two-bedroom layouts. The uppermost floors introduce a public-facing realm, a sky lobby and restaurant nested beneath a vaulted timber ceiling. This layering of uses mirrors the diversity of the surrounding city block, inviting a mix of residents, visitors, and locals into a shared vertical neighborhood.

Safdie Architects unveils plans for Old Port Square in Portland, Maine
Extending the Urban Landscape of portland, maine
Safdie Architects’ vision for Portland, Maine does not end with the tower. Working closely with landscape architect Michael Boucher and graphic design firm Pentagram, the team has devised a comprehensive strategy for the public realm. The surrounding streetscape will be reimagined with outdoor dining terraces, upgraded pedestrian routes, and new storefronts that activate the street. An earlier phase — the renovation of the Fore Street Garage — already integrated solar panels, EV stations, and new retail frontage, signaling the project’s layered and adaptive approach.
A pavilion at 55 Union Street offers an intimate foil to the tower, with about 8,000 square feet of retail across two levels. A sculptural stair and vaulted wood roof canopy echo the formal vocabulary of the tower’s summit. Together, the two buildings create a dialog across the square, unified by shared material expression but scaled for varied urban experiences.

the project introduces a 30-story lighthouse-inspired tower
Safdie Architects’ work on Portland, Maine’s Old Port Square integrates preservation as a central theme. Beyond new construction, the project includes recent renovations of existing buildings at 200 and 220 Middle Street. These updates brought new glass storefronts, a grand staircase, and improved circulation — small moves that collectively restore continuity to a block once severed by demolition and disuse. The architecture is never stand-alone. It’s embedded in a longer arc of recovery and reinvention.
The development is part of a larger body of work that seeks to cultivate livable density. Known for projects such as Habitat 67 in Montreal and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, the firm consistently returns to ideas of connection, landscape integration, and civic accessibility.

Safdie Architects aims to repair urban fabric in Portland’s historic district

the design includes retail, hotel, and residential programs
Maine
Rage Room in Portland, Maine, Developing ‘Scream Room’ Addition
For a lot of people throughout Maine, there’s some built up frustration that they’ve just been keeping inside.
That frustration can come in a lot of different forms. From finances to relationships to the world around you.
So it makes plenty of sense that a rage room opened in Portland, Maine, where people can let some of that frustration out.
It’s called Mayhem and people have been piling in to smash, crush and do dastardly things to inanimate objects that had no idea what was coming.
But Mayhem has realized not everyone is down with swinging a sledgehammer. So they’ve decided to cook up something new.
Mayhem Creating ‘Scream Room’ at Their Space in Portland, Maine
Perhaps the thought of swinging a baseball bat and destroying a glass vase brings you joy. The thought of how sore your body will be after that moment makes you less excited.
Mayhem Portland has heard you loud and clear and is developing a new way to get the rage out. By just screaming.
Mayhem is working on opening their very first scream room. It’s exactly what you think it is, a safe place to spend some time just screaming all of the frustration out.
There isn’t an official opening date set yet but it’s coming soon along with pricing.
Mayhem in Portland, Maine, Will Still Offer Rage Rooms and Paint Splatter
While a scream room is on the way, you can still experience a good time at Mayhem with one of their rage rooms or a paint splatter room.
Both can be experienced in either 20-minute or 30-minute sessions.
All the details including some age and attire requirements can be found here.
TripAdvisor’s Top 10 Things to do in Portland, Maine
Looking for fun things to do in Portland, ME? Here is what the reviewers on TripAdvisor say are the 10 best attractions.
This list was updated in March of 2026
Gallery Credit: Chris Sedenka
Top 15 of The Most Powerful People in Maine
Ever wonder who the most powerful players are in Maine? I’ve got a list!
Gallery Credit: Getty Images
Maine
Maine competition gives creative entrepreneurs the chance to win money
BANGOR, Maine (WABI) – If you’ve ever wondered what goes into pitching a good business idea, you might want to stop by a Big Gig event.
The Big Gig Entrepreneurship Pitch Off brings professionals from across the state together to network and pitch their early-stage business ideas for a chance to win $500.
Tuesday’s competition was held at the Salty Brick Market in Bangor, and it drew a lot of spectators.
“The winners of each semifinal event get $500 and the opportunity to compete for $5,000, so that can make a huge impact on a business that’s just getting off the ground,” said Renee Kelly, a Big Gig organizer.
The winner of the competition, Colin McGuire, was also grateful for the opportunity to showcase his idea “Art on Tap,” which would connect local artists with local venues trying to put on events.
“The support tonight is huge, and it’s just giving me more enthusiasm for running with the idea,” he said.
The season finale of the competition will be held May 19th.
The location is yet to be determined.
If you’d like to apply to compete in the contest, you can go to biggig.org.
Copyright 2026 WABI. All rights reserved.
Maine
This Monster Burrito Challenge in Waterville, Maine, Is Not for the Weak
Are you up for a Maine food challenge, or are your eyes bigger than your stomach?
A Waterville staple, Buen Apetito has a monster burrito just waiting for someone to eat it down to the very last bite.
This thing is a beast, literally called La Bestia, and it’s definitely a mighty task for a fearless foodie.
Take on the Buen Apetito La Bestia Food Challenge in Waterville, Maine
According to Buen Apetito, if you can finish a super-sized burrito in 30 minutes or less, you’ll get the $60 meal for free, a La Bestia champion shirt, and a picture on the wall of fame. That’s not to mention the bragging rights of dominating a task few will be able to conquer.
Wondering what’s in the burrito?
The Mexican restaurant shared in a Facebook comment on a post that the burrito is filled with “grilled chicken, chorizo, and tender shredded beef or pork. Built on a layer of seasoned rice, refried beans, and French fries, it’s melted together with a shredded Mexican cheese blend and a drizzle of creamy cheese sauce, sautéed peppers and onions, green salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, creamy guacamole, and a bed of shredded lettuce all wrapped in three extra-large tortillas fused into one epic wrap.”
Let’s just say that this thing is packed full.
The first La Bestia contender took up his fork and knife in December 2025, but despite coming close, he couldn’t come out with the win.
As of March 2026, the challenge has remained undefeated. But you never know, someone is bound to come out victorious.
Just note that you can only try your hand at this food challenge on Wednesday and Thursday.
Buen Apetito Has Been a Longstanding Waterville, Maine, Restaurant
First opened in 1999, Buen Apeitito has been around for nearly 30 years.
Centralmaine.com reported that the Mexican restaurant was originally located at the Railroad Square complex off Chaplin Street before moving to 99 West River Road in 2023.
A little over a year later, in 2024, Buen Apetito shared on Facebook that it was passing on the torch to new owners, including Dalia, “the heart and soul of [the] kitchen for twenty years,” her daughter, Norma, and Norma’s husband, Shawn.
READ MORE: Famous Maine Restaurant Buen Apetito Adds Powerhouse New Owner to Crew
And it seems like not only are things still going strong, but new additions like La Bestia food challenge are only enhancing the spirit of big flavor and delicious Mexican food at the Waterville staple.
So, you think you’re up for the task of taking down a beast of a burrito at Buen Apetito? Good luck.
You Know You’re From Maine If You’ve Tried All 19 of These Foods
Here’s a number of foods associated with Maine. How many of them have you had?
Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna
The New York Time’s Best Restaurant Lists Feature These 7 Maine Spots
Gallery Credit: Sean McKenna
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