PORTLAND — After several years of delays, Portland’s Brainerd Place mixed-use development, which will house apartments, businesses, offices — and a Starbucks — has finally broken ground.
With the tagline “A Modern New England Town Center,” Brainerd Place will sit at the site of the old Elmcrest psychiatric Hospital, which was mostly demolished last summer. Earlier this spring, construction began on building E, which will house 99 residential units.
Developer Dan Bertram of Bright Ravens Development says the project is coming along nicely. He anticipates construction to soon begin on Building D, which will be home to the Starbucks. Town can expect the coffeehouse to open in spring 2024, he added.
The 240 residential units on the site are about 15 to 18 months out from being habitable. Following Starbucks, the next building to be constructed will be Building F, home to another 130 residential units.
Other progress in the development includes the decision to split Building B, a commercial building originally slated to be a CVS, into two buildings on the corner of Main and Marlborough streets. These spaces are now intended to house retail on the first floor and offices on the second.
“I'm always focused, not on the thing that's getting built right now, but on the next thing to be built at that site, and making sure we're listening to market feedback and adjusting accordingly,” Bertram said of the decision to alter plans for Building B.
The overall timeline of the project has been adjusted to account for delays in breaking ground, and changes that have been made since. Due to inflation, the developers previously struggled to obtain the necessary supplies and engage construction workers on the project.
However, Bertram expects to soon bring a new estimated completion date to the Board of Selectmen.
First Selectman Ryan Curley expressed hope that the development will be a catalyst for further economic growth in town, especially with the addition of so many housing units.
“[We’re] hoping to attract young business professionals, maybe some elderly looking to downsize, which will increase the population of the town somewhat,” Curley said. “We've been stagnant for several years now… and with 240 units, we could be talking about 500 new people in town, which [means] 500 new people that are going to Portland businesses, restaurants, eating [and] shopping in town, which is great.”
Another element of the project is the tax abatement, which Curley has been working on with the Town Council to amend the October 2021 version. The abatement will account for all three phases of the project rather than two, and will allow construction to continue progressing.
“It shouldn't be too much longer until we get this amended agreement in place,” Curley said. “I think both sides are probably in a pretty good place. And we need to get this agreement so that the developer can secure the financing for phase two of the project, which is important.”
The site also includes three historic homes: the circa 1852 Erastus Brainerd Jr. House, circa 1804 John H. Sage House, and Hart-Jarvis House, built in 1829. The latter was originally scheduled to be moved from its original location and installed in the southwest corner of the development.
The restoration of this structure was slated to be undertaken by a local nonprofit, according to Bertram. However, its financing fell through, so the developer decided to take on the additional task of incorporating the Hart-Jarvis House into the plans in its current location.
“It will bring a special character to the development and preserve the best of the best elements of the past,” Bertram said.
Sage House will be a restaurant, and Brainerd House will become a clubhouse for people who work or live at Brainerd Place. Bertram anticipates the restored Hart-Jarvis House will be used as office space.
Bertram also mentioned that the development has been designed around the presence of specimen trees, such as beech trees.
“You have these legacy components that you then try to bring a modern living and service-level business experience to,” he said.
Sitting on a hill overlooking the Arrigoni Bridge and the Connecticut River, the site will be landscaped to create a park-like feel, with more trees planted once buildings are constructed. Certain views will be preserved, such as from the terrace of Sage House and specific locations within the new structures.
The combination of history and modernity, in addition to residential and commercial use, will contribute to the overall role that Brainerd Place will play in the community.
“It's so important because it's going to have a lot of character, and I do believe that these historic homes that they save are going to really set this property apart from other mixed-use developments that you may see throughout the state,” Curley said.
In demolishing Elmcrest Hospital, the developers salvaged some brownstone from the site and plan to use it on the new buildings to be constructed. Given Portland’s historic brownstone quarries, the incorporation of such a cultural element serves as an homage to Portland's history.
“It's going to be basically one of the very first things that you see when you come over the Arrigoni Bridge into Portland, so we want to make sure that we present it in the best way possible, and that's why they're incorporating things like the brownstone features into the project,” Curley said.
Curley elaborated on the importance of the development, not only to Portland’s commerce but that of the entire Route 66 corridor.
“It's definitely an important part of Portland's future,” Curley said. “I've told the developers this many times: their success is our success in the town.”