- Maine State Pier
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The Maine State Pier is a municipal-owned deep water marine facility and music venue located at the intersection of Commercial Street and Franklin Street on the eastern waterfront in Portland, Maine.[1]
It was completed in 1924. In the mid-2000s, competing proposals were examined to redevelop the Maine State Pier into a tourist destination, but difficulties with state regulations and the late-2000s recession halted proposed redevelopment.[2] In 2009, the first annual Portland Lobster Fest was held at the State Pier.[3]
In 2009, the Portland City Council approved spending $2.4 million to redevelop the end of pier. Improvements included the creation of an outdoor music venue.[4] In 2011, rapper Wiz Khalifa and others appeared at the venue. The venue has a maximum capacity of 3,000.[5]
During the 2011 Portland mayoral campaign, several candidates, including former State Senator Ethan Strimling made the lack of redevelopment at the Maine State Pier a key campaign issue. Many of Strimling's largest campaign donors were employees of Ocean Properties, one of the companies which sought to redevelop the pier during the 2000s.[6]
External links
References
- ^ "Policy Statement for Maine State Pier". Portland, Maine City Council. September 18, 2006. http://www.ci.portland.me.us/planning/PolicyStatementPassed9-18-06_1.pdf. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Billings, Randy (November 15, 2011). "Lobster dealer prepped for new lease at Maine State Pier in Portland". The Forecaster. http://www.theforecaster.net/content/p-ready-brothers-maine-state-pier. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Parkhurst, Emily (June 21, 2010). "Falmouth Rotary brings 2nd annual LobsterFest to Maine State Pier in Portland". The Forecaster. http://www.theforecaster.net/content/pn-portfalrotatrylobster-062310. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Bucklin, Kate (August 18, 2009). "Portland councilors eye music venue, public dock for state pier". The Forecaster. http://www.theforecaster.net/node/24985. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ "Maine State Pier". PortlandEvents.com. http://www.portlandevents.com/mainestatepierspecsgeneralinformation.pdf. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ Woodard, Colin. "Who bankrolled Portland’s mayoral candidates?". Portland Phoenix. http://portland.thephoenix.com/news/129312-who-bankrolled-portlands-mayoral-candidates/. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
Categories:- Music venues in Portland, Maine
- Buildings and structures in Portland, Maine
- Economy of Portland, Maine
- Piers in Maine
- Buildings and structures completed in 1924
- Maine building and structure stubs
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