Portland's Old Port Square project, led by developer East Brown Cow and Safdie Architects, plans to include Maine's tallest building, a 30-story tower. The multi-phase project involves renovations, new construction and revitalization efforts in the Old Port neighborhood. The comprehensive development aims to create a vibrant, mixed-use district with retail, restaurants, hotels, residences, offices, parking and outdoor spaces.
Safdie Architects render
A major portion of the plan is a proposal to build two new structures, including a 30-story, 380-ft.-tall residential and hospitality tower that will be significantly higher than Maine’s current tallest structure.
A project that combines significant construction with revitalization already under way on existing structures is envisioned under a unified brand in Portland, Maine's Old Port neighborhood.
Dubbed Old Port Square, the project is led by East Brown Cow, a Portland developer; and Boston's Safdie Architects, according to a May 7, 2025, report by Mainebiz.
The four-acre site is bounded by Middle, Union, Exchange and Fore streets.
East Brown Cow has acquired a number of buildings in the downtown area over the years and has completed renovations and repositioning of some, while projects remain under way on others.
A major portion of the plan is a proposal to build two new structures, including a 30-story, 380-ft.-tall residential and hospitality tower that will be significantly higher than Maine's current tallest structure, the relatively new 18-story building at 201 Federal St. in Portland.
The entire building effort is going through the city's major site plan approval process, meaning there is no estimate of when it might be completed. And, as the plan is still conceptual, there is no estimated project cost.
At an announcement May 6, the principals said the effort is envisioned as a comprehensive plan to create an "urban heart" that includes what is currently known as the city's Canal Plaza.
Old Port Square would include retail, restaurants, hotels, residences, offices, parking and outdoor community spaces throughout, Mainebiz noted.
"This new identity, Old Port Square, simply puts a name to this district that is already vibrant, active and thriving," said Tim Soley, East Brown Cow's president.
Established in 1989, Soley's company and its affiliates comprise a real estate management, investment and development firm in the Old Port. Its portfolio has grown to more than 20 properties in the greater Portland area, including more than a million square feet of office, retail, garage and hospitality assets.
Safdie Architects was founded by Moshe Safdie and is a global design firm.
Building Renovations Ongoing in Old Port
In previous years, East Brown Cow acquired the One, Two and Three Canal Plaza properties in addition to the Fore Street Garage.
Since the latter acquisition, Safdie Architects has managed renovations on the garage, now called the Old Port Square Garage. It features rooftop solar panels offsetting 20 percent of energy consumption at the nearby Hyatt, EV charging stations, and a sculptural illuminated façade. The ground level along Fore Street has local food and beverage spaces with patio seating.
Safdie also designed renovations for One Canal Plaza, at 200 Middle St., with the first and second levels featuring glass-display storefronts, a lobby with a grand staircase and existing Class A offices on levels 3-10.
In 2012, East Brown Cow acquired vintage buildings at 115, 121, 178 and 184 Middle St., along with one located at 4 Canal St., so as to redevelop them for mixed-use properties, including short- and long-stay residential.
Mainebiz noted that the building at 178 Middle St. is undergoing a multi-year preservation and rehabilitation project set to be completed late summer 2025. New retail spaces have been created for Rough & Tumble and Bangor Savings Bank on the ground floor, and 16 one- and two-bedroom private lofts were built on the upper stories. The property will soon be added to East Brown Cow's boutique hospitality property, which it calls the Docent's Collection.
Likewise, the 184 Middle St. building also is undergoing multi-year preservation and rehabilitation on the same timeline as 178 Middle. A renovated retail space was created for Warby Parker on the ground floor of that structure, while its upper levels are being rebuilt into a trio of one- and two-bedroom private townhouse-style lofts for the Docent's Collection.
The Old Port Square plans include installing pedestrian pathways, wayfinding and landscaping designed by Michael Boucher Landscape Architecture, located in Freeport, Maine.
In addition, East Brown Cow acquired four 19th-century Portland buildings at 36, 44, 45, and 57 Exchange St. in 2022 to preserve and enhance them.
New Construction to Begin in 2026
The timeline going forward includes the next phase of renovations at 200 and 220 Middle St., the start of further renovations at various properties, and the beginning of new construction.
At 45 Union St., East Brown Cow commissioned Safdie to design the 30-story, 380-ft.-tall residential and hospitality tower, with work tentatively set to begin in 2026.
"[When] designing a tower in a city that's generally low-rise, at the heart of downtown, we asked ourselves: what are the elements that are going to make this really belong to Portland?" Safdie said. "The project's breakthrough was the day we latched onto the idea that this is a beacon. It's a lighthouse in the tradition of the lighthouses of Portland — those slender, beautiful structures that rise out of the land or out of the water [and] become icons in the landscape for good purpose."
Also, in partnership with East Brown Cow, Safdie is designing a timber and glass retail pavilion at 55 Union St., which will be positioned as a gateway to Old Port Square and feature retail space on two levels.
The development principals' noted that Portland's new land use code, known as ReCode, includes a goal to "reinforce the center" of the city through density and mixed-used activation and raise the maximum allowable building heights in the downtown area.
"We look forward to continuing to bring Old Port Square to life over the coming years in a way that honors history and engages the community in thoughtful dialogue," said Soley.
Today's top stories
