Most local history buffs are aware that we had a plush mill in Ferry Village, but may not know many details about it. The site, which is now home to RiverPlace Apartments off of Mussey Street, was long home to a factory complex. Most people referred to that complex as the former “bicycle factory” where […]

Whether you are driving down Ocean Street or visiting our Community Center, you may notice big, beautifully blue solar panels in your view. These solar arrays, scattered across South Portland, advance our progress toward being a clean, green city. Implementing solar projects advances our progress toward goals set in One Climate Future, including reducing community-wide […]

We took a look at the Ferry Village grocer Arthur Lailer last week, which led us to his brother Thomas and the history of a building on Sawyer Street. The building on the site today is now addressed as 131 Sawyer St. and is home to the Sawyer Street Studios. The building that preceded it […]

Last week, we talked about South Portland’s newly adopted energy stretch code, IECC 2021, which will increase the efficiency of South Portland’s commercial and residential buildings. In addition to state or city mandated codes, there are several alternate third-party standards developers can comply with to reduce a building’s greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency and […]

I really enjoy looking back at the first half of the 20th century, in the time before supermarkets or shopping malls. Before the advent of the internet and the conscious effort to buy local, shopping at your local store was just the way of life. During this global pandemic, we’ve struggled to find ways to […]

Here in South Portland, our buildings are our greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions, with 42 percent of our greenhouse emissions coming from residential and commercial buildings. One Climate Future, the city’s joint climate action and adaptation plan with the city of Portland, identifies 68 strategies to reduce our emissions 80 percent by 2050. Each […]

One popular business in Mill Creek that is still missed today is the old Bowl-A-Rama. The candlepin bowling alley was a local hangout for kids and adults from 1958 until about 1980. Before the Bowl-A-Rama building was constructed at 51 Market St. (home to CVS today), the area was pretty undeveloped. The first Shaw’s supermarket […]

In our community, sidewalk care during the winter season is critical to ensure that residents of all ages can safely and confidently navigate from one business to the next while running errands. Age Friendly South Portland’s Golden Shovel Program is once again inciting lively competition among businesses routinely patronized along Ocean Street in Knightville to […]

History of the South Portland food waste program The mission of the South Portland Sustainability Office is to guide the development of policies and practices that simultaneously promote economic well-being, strong community connections, and a healthy environment. One of the ways South Portland is working toward this mission is through programs designed to reduce waste […]