Taking charge | A conversation with Portland's new development director
Photo/David A. Rodgers
Greg Mitchell brings a background in collaboration and community development to his new job as economic development director for Portland
Greg Mitchell’s office in city hall’s Economic Development Division is still a little sparse. A neatly organized rack of files to the left of his desk is the only evidence that he’s settled in, two months after being hired as Portland’s economic development director.
No matter. Mitchell, 48, spends a lot of time out of his office, making connections with stakeholders in the city’s future, such as neighborhood associations, chambers of commerce and commercial brokers. After eight years as Lewiston’s chief economic development architect, followed by three years as a private development consultant with Eaton Peabody Consulting Group in Augusta, he understands the effectiveness of public-private collaborations. That’s the model he used in Lewiston where he had a hand in development projects worth $300 million that revitalized the city’s downtown and established it as a logistics hub.
Among his successes are helping TD Banknorth grow its presence in Bates Mill, where now more than 900 people work; initiating the upgrade of two formerly seedy gateways to the city into commerce centers; and helping private business parks grow.
One of his tenets, “To add, sometimes you need to subtract,” was reflected in the demolition of 300 mostly blighted housing units and commercial buildings during Mitchell’s tenure in Lewiston.
His three years with Eaton Peabody’s consultant group took him all over the state, where he helped developments as diverse as the TransCanada wind farm project on Skinner Township’s Kibby Mountain and the growth of the Auburn Mall retail area. Mitchell said his time in the private sector gave him a better appreciation of the financial challenges inherent in private development.
And he understands controversy. While in Lewiston, he spent some time in the frying pan, orchestrating behind closed doors the arrival of the $60 million Wal-Mart Distribution Center to Lewiston and its 600 jobs. Negotiations to build a nearly 1 million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center were conducted out of the public view — a stipulation the big-box giant insisted upon — that prohibited Mitchell, elected officials and other city staff from disclosing details of the project until it was done.
Before arriving in Lewiston, Mitchell was the economic development director in Brunswick. Now he turns his sights to Portland, where his position as director has been elevated from the Planning and Development Department to the City Manager’s Office. His predecessor left two years ago. Mitchell knows the higher-profile office means more public scrutiny. But that’s OK.
Heat — whether from the spotlight or the frying pan —doesn’t faze him.
Mainebiz sat down for a chat. An edited transcript follows.
Mainebiz: What attracted you to Portland in the first place?
Greg Mitchell: Its economic diversity. From a historical perspective, Portland’s economy has performed exceedingly well, despite some downturns that have occurred. I feel it will continue to perform well. There’s a lot of good news. We’re looking at construction from 2007 to present — in the ground or under construction — of $450 million. That’s a really big number. I’m bullish on Portland. We have all the elements to continue this growth. Infrastructure such as the airport, the Downeaster and other rail service, the waterfront and ports, Maine State Pier. We have all the ingredients — when combined with the diversity of downtown redevelopment, the Old Port, educational institutions and hospitals — to offer a solid foundation to continue to support more development. A case in point, in 2008 we had 31 cruise ships with over 45,000 passengers; in 2009, the plan is for 45 cruise ships and 60,000 visitors. My point is, Portland is a destination location. We can bring more into the community from a tourism and employment basis than any other city in Maine.
What are some of your priorities, your top initiatives?
Well, one is a small biotech park called Portland Technology Park. (He unrolls blueprints on his desk. They show a 26-acre business park off Rand Road with nine sites connected by a central road.) A federal grant from the EDA [Economic Development Administration] will cover half the cost of the infrastructure and the city has committed over $600,000 from its capital program to match the federal money. We’ll be attending a biotech trade show in Atlanta in May with representatives from South Portland, Westbrook and Scarborough. We have a brochure, we’ll be in one booth. We want to advertise the region as a biotech location. The hope is we can get [the biotech park] through the regulatory process in 2009 and be open for business in 2010, so we can catch the upturn, which we expect will be happening by then. We hope to have lots shovel-ready a year from this fall. Then marketing and construction can be done in tandem, with a three- to five-year build-out for the whole park.
Is that why Portland is seeking Pine Tree Zone status?
One of the reasons. Absolutely. [For more on the city’s quest for a Pine Tree Zone designation, see “Zoning variance,” page 20]
And other initiatives?
One that I’ve taken on recently is to really be more aggressive about marketing and advertising our commercial loan programs. There’s money available for creative economy initiatives that might appeal to, say, graduates of MECA. There’s a micro loan program. There’s money to support real estate acquisitions for development. We have about $1.7 million [from city, state and federal sources] to lend in six different programs and one grant program. The funds are replenished by repayment of existing loans. The programs are intended to supplement conventional lending sources. In a tight credit market, we think the demand is there and we can help meet it.
And how do you plan to get the word out?
Work through the existing Chambers, convention and visitor’s bureau, other business groups. I was in front of all the Boulos brokers yesterday talking about it. They were energized.
How are you approaching some of the more controversial development areas, like Bayside, where traditional use and upscale developments have clashed?
I had coffee with Bayside people yesterday. I wanted to make sure we were all clear about goals. Bayside requires city involvement because of city-owned real estate and area-wide TIF support for reinvestment. We intend to work with planned projects, such as the United Way/Maine Health project, and its 700-car parking structure, as well as recruiting for new projects. The talk with the neighborhood association folks was good. I’m not aware of continuing controversy.
Maine State Pier is another focus. I’ll be assisting with the restart of the timeline for that. I’m working on recommendations to the City Council that I expect to deliver later this month.
Is it back to square one?
I wouldn’t characterize it as square one. A lot of the legwork has been done and will serve as a foundation to move forward. We’re looking at all options to continue that discussion.
Other developments?
Individual programs in the pipeline include the Community Development Committee, which vets economic development programs across the board. Their agenda includes the redevelopment of St. Joseph’s motherhouse on the McCauley campus, which I presented to them for a TIF. The concept is to redesign it as a senior living center, but at market rates. They recommended the TIF request. It’s a historic building, [so there might be available tax credits] but there’s still a gap to restore it.
I look at the waterfront as one of the geographic areas I’ll be focusing on. There are 13 pier owners and they want a relaxation of zoning requirements. Eric Cianchette’s [$40 million luxury hotel] project is a separate item, but related. I’m also involved in identifying and representing the city’s infrastructure initiatives to pursue federal stimulus money. Everything from the Maine State Pier investments to the megaberth at Ocean Gateway to the airport and everything in between, including sidewalks, roads, upgrading trails, combined sewage overflow. It forces the city to be organized in its presentation to the council. The total is $96 million.
Another initiative that I’ll likely get involved in is the historical district expansion. Portland Community Chamber is interested. I intend to work with their initiatives to streamline the regulatory review process and look at regional economic development agency models. A public/private approach just makes so much sense. That allows cities to focus on retention and expansion while regional agencies — like the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council in L-A — focus on marketing and recruitment.
That’s an effective strategy for you?
The goal is to recognize that we’re part of a greater region and there’s efficiency in pooling resources. For instance, the biotech trade show. It makes sense to share the cost and participate collaboratively. Each community is sending one person. The biotech park is a controlled development park, and unique since Portland doesn’t have a business park. We’re taking a very focused approach with it and I think that builds excitement from a public leadership point-of-view.
What about your approach? How do you think about economic development?
I try to put everything in the context of what this means to the city, the community. Collaborating with all the players — public and private — laying the infrastructure for continued growth, preserving what’s unique about the city. Everything has to be considered. We need a unified vision for the community.
Are you happy to be back in the public sector?
I have a passion for what I do. I love the part of the job where I’m helping people make informed decisions. If the general public, staff and elected officials participate in a discussion, and they understand an issue well enough that everyone knows what the options are and can make informed decisions, then I’ve felt I’ve done a good job. It’s very important to me … even when the decision isn’t the one I’d hoped for.
Carol Coultas, Mainebiz editor, can be reached at ccoultas@mainebiz.biz.
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