Developers surprised at Portland DHHS move
Portland officials and two developers bidding on a project to move the Portland offices of the Department of Health and Human Services say they’re surprised by the state’s selection of a developer with plans to move the offices to South Portland, near the Portland International Jetport.
The Portland Press Herald reported the department’s lease is scheduled to end in 2014, and state officials hope to combine its offices with the Department of Labor offices, a move the state expects will save $14 million over proposals to keep the offices downtown.
Portland Mayor Michael Brennan told the paper the move “makes no sense,” arguing that the DHHS offices should remain near downtown, where it is within walking distance of most neighborhoods on the city’s peninsula.
The state ultimately chose developer ELC Management for the project near the airport, saying it was the lowest priced and scored highest against the state’s request for proposals. The state has until Dec. 15 to negotiate a final agreement with ELC. The group Bayside I LLC and East Brown Cow Management Inc. were not selected for their proposals to keep the DHHS offices closer to the city’s downtown.
Bayside I LLC had appealed the state’s decision on Nov. 6, but that attempt was denied Nov. 20 by the state’s Bureau of General Services. Tim Soley, president of East Brown Cow, told the paper he was surprised that the state did not keep the offices downtown.
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