Maine

Portland Planning Board green lights Maine’s would-be tallest building

Published

1 month ago

December 10, 2025

Portland Planning Board green lights Maine’s would-be tallest building

At 380 feet, the proposed tower on Union Street in Portland would be the tallest building in Maine. It is meant to resemble a lighthouse beacon. (Courtesy of Safdie Architects)

A nearly 400-foot tower that would transform Portland’s skyline moved one step closer to reality Tuesday night when it received unanimous approval from the city’s Planning Board.

The 30-story mixed-use, high-rise building is proposed for 45 Union St., adjacent to the Old Port.

Now, the developer will need to secure building permits, finalize financing and begin work on detailed construction documents. The project does not require any approval from the City Council.

The tower, proposed by Portland developer East Brown Cow Management LLC, would stand at 380 feet, making it far and away the state and city’s tallest building. It would include more than 70 residential units, commercial space, an 88-room hotel and a restaurant at the top, and is just one part of a project called Old Port Square, designed to fill an entire city block.

Portland updated its zoning laws last year with the goal of allowing growth in the city while preserving its character. The overhaul included an increased maximum height for buildings in some of the city’s major corridors, permitting buildings up to 380 feet in downtown.

On Tuesday night, the board heard presentations about traffic impacts of the proposal and reviewed the developer’s latest revisions to the application before receiving a final round of public comment.

That testimony, both in person at the meeting and in submitted written comments, was mixed.

Local organizations, including Greater Portland Landmarks and the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, expressed support for the project, describing it as a modern but thoughtful design that would transform an underutilized parking lot into a vibrant mixed-use space.

“This project shows that Portland can honor its history while preparing for its future,” said Thomas O’Boyle, director of advocacy at the chamber.

But other residents and local business owners criticized the building as an eyesore, whose height would disrupt Portland’s skyline and conflict with the city and Old Port’s historic character. Several commenters said the city, in need of more affordable housing, should prioritize those projects over new high-end apartments and a hotel.

In accordance with Portland’s inclusionary zoning rules, developers are planning to pay about $3.3 million into the city’s Jill C. Duson Housing Trust Fund in lieu of building affordable housing units.

During deliberations, the board acknowledged public concerns about the skyline and how it might visually transform the city, but noted that the applicants had met board standards. Members acknowledged that after raising the city’s maximum permitted downtown building heights last year, someone had to be the first to build in the new allowable space.

The planning board approved the project unanimously, although several members were absent.

The board also passed language requiring that if the developer makes major material or architectural changes that substantially differ from the approved plans, they must submit those changes to the board for review.

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Maine

New bill would raise reimbursement rate for direct care workers in Maine

Published

2 hours ago

January 20, 2026

Press Room

New bill would raise reimbursement rate for direct care workers in Maine

AUGUSTA (WGME) — There’s a push in Augusta to give direct care workers in Maine a pay raise.

A bill would raise the rate for reimbursement of labor services from 125 percent of minimum wage to 140 percent.

The sponsor of the bill, Speaker Ryan Fecteau, points out Maine is the oldest state in the nation, and at the same time, there is a critical shortage of direct care workers, who are quitting over unlivable wages.

He says the raise he’s proposing would go a long way for employers.

“They’ll be able to do things like give raises to their employees for longevity, and this, in turn, will help keep people in these important jobs,” Fecteau said.

“It’s about building a system that actually works for the people whose needs are most important. Direct care is essential work. Let’s start treating it that way,” direct support professional Stephanie Hattrick said.

The only person speaking out against the bill Tuesday was the director of MaineCare, who said the increase would cost about $140 million and comes at a time when there is uncertainty surrounding the future of Medicaid after cuts by the Trump administration, approved by the Republican-controlled Congress.

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Maine

New legislation would make Maine’s polluters pay | Opinion

Published

14 hours ago

January 20, 2026

Press Room

New legislation would make Maine’s polluters pay | Opinion

Sue Inches is an author, educator and environmental advocate from North Yarmouth.
She writes a regular blog on the environment at susanbinches.substack.com.

Fossil fuel companies are spewing billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the air every year. These gases rise and act like a blanket in the atmosphere, reflecting heat back toward the Earth, where it’s absorbed by the ocean. This is why the Gulf of Maine is one of the fastest warming bodies of water on the planet.

Our rising ocean temperatures are the root cause of more frequent and more severe storms. And these storms are costly. Flooding, high winds and falling trees have cost Maine electric ratepayers over $200 million in each of the past four years. We see these costs in our rising electric bills.

As storms and costs continue to increase, it’s time to hold fossil fuel companies accountable. Maine electric ratepayers should not pay for climate damage they did not cause. Nor should they pay for local infrastructure to protect downtowns, roads, bridges and sewage treatment plants from flooding.

This is the rationale behind “polluter pays” legislation, an important bill before the Legislature this month.

Introduced by state Sen. Stacy Brenner, the “Polluter Pays” bill (LD 1870) would charge fossil fuel companies a fee for climate damage they’ve caused in Maine. The funds would be deposited into a state “climate superfund” and used to pay for storm repair and strengthening local infrastructure.

You may be wondering how polluters will be assessed a pollution fee. Based on decades of research and using advanced computing, it’s now possible to accurately determine the cost attributed to each polluter. Large fossil fuel companies would be charged a fee, based on a formula. The formulas are now in place.

Establishing a state “climate superfund” is a bold move. But there’s legal precedent for it. Vermont and New York passed similar legislation in 2024. Ten other states, including Maine, are proposing similar legislation. This legislation is modeled on the national superfund law (the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act or CERCLA), which passed in 1980.

The national superfund law has been effective. Since it was enacted, 459 sites have been fully cleaned up, with many more in progress. But the national superfund law is limited to cleaning up land and water pollution. There is no law to clean up damage caused by atmospheric pollution. States are now stepping up to address this gap.

Maine’s LD 1870 is modeled on the Vermont climate superfund law. The bill calls for climate damage fees to be assessed retroactively — on emissions from 1994-2024. By making the damage assessment retroactive, the bill avoids the argument that states are regulating emissions, which are outside of state jurisdiction. Because it is retroactive, and because it addresses climate damage and not emissions, many legal experts believe LD 1870 will stand up to legal challenges.

Opponents have not been complacent, however. Lawsuits against Vermont and New
York have been filed by the American Petroleum Institute, a coalition of 22 attorneys general from red states, and now the Trump administration through the Department of Justice. The lawsuits claim that states are regulating emissions, and that this violates interstate commerce laws and the Clean Air Act.

State climate superfund laws and the fight to establish them represent an important paradigm shift. For too long fossil fuel companies have been allowed to externalize the costs of pollution. States and local communities (meaning you and me as taxpayers) end up paying the bill, while oil companies harvest massive profits. These new laws are a first step toward making polluters accountable for pollution they cause.

Once again, Maine is taking the lead on an important issue. Please email or call your state senator and representative and urge them to support LD 1870. Better yet, come to Augusta and stand with people who support this legislation. A demonstration at the Statehouse is scheduled for Jan. 27 from 8-11 a.m.

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Maine

How to look for Northern Lights in Southern New England tonight – The Boston Globe

Published

1 day ago

January 19, 2026

Press Room

How to look for Northern Lights in Southern New England tonight – The Boston Globe

Last night New Englanders were gifted two heavenly spectacles— a major Patriots win, followed by inches of snow. Tonight, a different kind could be in store, as forecasts predict the Northern Lights may be visible across the region.

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine are among the 24 states where nature’s light show could be on display, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

Tonight’s prediction comes as the space weather forecasting agency has identified a large coronal mass ejection, or eruption of plasma and energy charged solar material, that is due to make contact with Earth’s magnetic field between late tonight or early tomorrow. The force of the impact may trigger what forecasters are expecting to be a strong to severe geomagnetic storm, which if powerful enough, can cause auroras to be visible much further south than usual.

The celestial phenomenon, known as aurora borealis, is typically scarcely visible over New England or anywhere south of Alaska and northern Canada.

According to NOAA, the best viewing times for the Northern Lights are between 10 p.m. Monday and 2 a.m. Tuesday, when geomagnetic activity increases. Other forecasts project peak activity to occur between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Currently, the edge of the projected view line for tonight’s aurora phenomenon cuts just across Pennsylvania and Southern New England, including Massachusetts and slices of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

States further north, like Maine will have the greatest chance of solid visibility. The aurora borealis is only viewable after nightfall and areas with less light pollution are also favored to glimpse the phenomenon, which can be found through dark sky databases. However, a new moon last night bodes well for the chances of a visibly spectacular event amid darkened skies tonight.

Last November, amid a geomagnetic storm, the Northern Lights were visible even in urban parks like Downtown Boston’s Public Garden.

If the sky does explode with dazzling color tonight, you can use your phone camera to get an enhanced view. Mobile devices have become ideal ways of capturing the Northern Lights thanks to their enhanced low-light capabilities that surpass even the human eye. Experts recommend turning off flash, enabling Night or Pro modes and stabilizing with a tripod for best results.

To monitor the likelihood of seeing the lights, you can use apps like My Aurora Forecast that provide location specific forecast predictions factoring in cloud coverage. Alternatively, NOAA’s 30-minute forecast and SpaceWeatherLive.com help track the view line on maps.

Even if dawn comes with no major visibility in the area, there may be reason to believe more chances will be coming this year. NASA scientists predict solar activity and resulting extreme space weather may remain on the rise, despite the sun having been projected to hit its solar maximum last year, or peak of an 11-year cycle leading to the most frequent and intense Northern Lights activity.

Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.

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