Northeastern University / CambridgeSeven Associates
Artist's rendering of the future campus of the Roux Institute in Portland.
September 16, 2024
The Roux Institute breaks ground on its new, permanent home in Portland
Rendering / Courtesy, Northeastern University, CambridgeSeven Associates
A rendering shows the future Roux Institute of Northeastern University, which will be located 1 Beanpot Circle.
The former B&M baked bean factory in Portland's East Deering neighborhood will soon be the permanent residence of Northeastern University’s Roux Institute.
On Friday, the university broke ground on what's planned to become a 300,000-square-foot campus. The complex of new buildings, the school says, will be a hub for education and research in fields including AI, life science and other high-tech, high-growth fields.
The Roux Institute, a graduate and research center, currently leases space on Fore Street in Portland from WEX Inc.
The institute was launched in 2020, driven in part by a $100 million investment from technology entrepreneur David Roux and his wife, Barbara Roux.
About the campus
The new campus will include a variety of buildings, including the Alfond Center, a new 245,000-square-foot learning, research and collaboration building that will house wet labs, computational labs, research spaces and classrooms.
The existing, 58,000-square-foot "Bean building" will undergo rehabilitation and provide workspaces for startups and businesses supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.
The new campus will also include a parking garage, an adjacent child care center, public green spaces, and pedestrian and bicycle paths on the shores of Casco Bay.
The $500 million new campus is expected to open in 2027.
Consigli Construction's Portland office will manage construction.
Northeastern University / CambridgeSeven Associates
A rendering of the Roux Institute campus from I-295 (Tukey's Bridge) in Portland.
Traffic concerns
With some 5,000 students expected to frequent and use the campus, neighborhood residents have raised concerns about how traffic will affect the area.
On Aug. 7, the Maine Department of Transportation received a $25 million federal grant for infrastructure improvements, including shared-use paths and reconfigured highway ramps to connect the East Deering neighborhood with the rest of Portland.
The grant will also help return public access to that waterfront section for the first time in more than a century.
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