Kaboom!

Today's Press Herald contained a bombshell (to me, anyway) concerning a plan to develop the swath of land sandwiched between the Westbrook Arterial and Stroudwater Street. According to Ann Kim's piece, the proposed development will have the following characteristics:

• It will be dubbed Stroudwater Place.
• It will contain 1.65 million square feet of floor space, including 1 million square feet for retail (the Maine Mall has 1.2 million square feet of retail space), 100,000 square feet for offices, 300,000 square feet for hospitality and food, and 250,000 square feet for sports and entertainment areas.
• It is expected to cost $300 million (the developer says it will all be private money) and will be built in phases over eight to ten years.
• It is expected to create about 1,200 construction jobs and 4,000 or more permanent jobs.
• It will include public spaces for a farmers' market, outdoor entertainment, picnicking, and indoor and outdoor commerical activity.
• It will include a hotel, an indoor skating rink, a cinema, and parking for 6,500 vehicles.
• It will need to go through the Planning Board, as the land it's slated to occupy is currently zoned as professional office space.

Judging by the comments attached to the online edition of the article (not to mention recent history) expect flared emotions and a loooong process. According to the article, the Planning Board is anticipating the first workshop devoted to the proposed development to be on April 1.

Get your popcorn ready, folks.

- John C.L. Morgan