The talented math and computer whizzes in my classes at Portland's University of Southern Maine would all like to stay in Maine and the Portland area, but the salaries tend to be low, so they leave.
7
As a Mainer who grew up in northern Maine, lived in NYC for 8 years and then returned to Portland with my husband and young child, I am very excited about Portland embracing opportunities to grow its industries beyond tourism and the relatively few tech companies here. Many folks from away often struggle for both members of an educated household to find work here - many families I know have one half who works remotely in Boston or NYC. What I do worry about is the capacity of the local policy makers to ensure that companies and real estate developers are taxed properly to ensure that the local services, schools and infrastructure is maintained for those of us who make this such a wonderful town and area to call home.
They have already shown lack of foresight in terms of developing quality housing that combines both affordability and tax revenues, as well as family-friendly options not just for retirees (a quick sample of new construction condos will reveal walk in showers with handle bars and nary a tub in sight!). And as recently as last week Portland is having to consider consolidating its elementary schools for lack of revenue. I hope they don't just lay the red carpet down for this project but work together to keep the long-term benefit to the city in mind.
17
@Emily great points - this is a remarkable opportunity for the city at this time - might we interest you in running for office?
5
I can't help noticing the pictures that accompany this story - and the people in the pictures. What I notice is: white, male, and/or young. I have spent a lot of time in Maine, and I love Portland. I have skills, including tech skills, an advanced degree from an Ivy League university, and a wealth of experience. I'd move there in a split second, but would I benefit from any of this? I doubt it!! In Tech, nobody wants you if you are over 45. If you have superb tech skills, but they are not 'of the moment,' you can't get past the initial computer screening or 15 minute phone interview. Moreover, only a certain type of tech skills (e.g., coding, preferably in Python) are deemed worthy). STEM skills are found in many fields, but the ones that 'count' are in engineering - which, notably, is not a science. Pardon my cynicism, but as a person who has never been able to fully reenter the workforce since I was summarily canned at the dawn of the 2008 recession, just as I had turned 52, I have no faith in the promise such philanthropic acts. Not only are some of us more equal than others - in the world of employment, some of us don't even exist.
15
This article creates the impression that Portland is just now crawling out to the dark ages of resource extraction, principally fishing and logging. In fact this stereotyping of Maine never had particular relevance to Portland which has always been Maine's principal service and trading center. Fishing always played second fiddle to shipping here. The nearest paper mill was, and still is in Westbrook.
On the other hand Portland has long ties to high tech. The Fairchild Semiconductor plant in South Portland produced the country's first integrated circuits. Fairchild's founder Robert Noyes went on to found Intel with Gordon Moore. Your article fails to even mention WEX, a data processing firm and Maine's biggest publicly traded company. Nor does it mention that the Maine Medical Center is a teaching hospital or the presence in Maine of Jackson Lab, the premier mouse genetics research company in the world. In other words, Roux's undertaking, though laudatory is not starting in the wilderness but building on a solid cultural and economic base in Maine, decades in the making.
29
@Michael McMillen I felt the same way. I hope the author of this article talks to more people and uses the platform to share more about the remarkable work people do here.
6
@Jennifer me too!
1
Surprised any article of this nature doesn't give a nod to Climate Change which will bring waves of people relocating to Maine's higher ground, attracted to cooler temps while the South is sweltering (this is already happening), and plenty of acreage to accommodate a larger population than we have now. It's then that some of us will relocate to Canada with the lobsters...
9
Incredibly generous and well thought out by Dave Roux and family. Will likely change Maine forever.
2
A quote in the article from Mr. Bartik the economist at Upjohn Research Institute: “By contrast, Mr. Bartik said, “sticking a high-tech institute in the middle of rural Idaho might not have multiplier effects if there is nothing to build on.”
Not sure what he means by that. Micron Technologies, one of the world leaders in memories (DRAM and NAND) is based in Boise Idaho. Lots of silicon manufacturing in the US is in Boise, Portland (Oregon), Chandler (Az), Malta (NY), Austin TX as well as a bunch of older facilities scattered around. The one place that doesn’t do a lot of silicon manufacturing, paradoxically, is Silicon Valley.
5
Portland in a petri dish. Why not just give the city the $100 million and let the residents decide? "I'm a tech billionaire and I'm here to help you."
6
@Connecticut Yankee
More like "I'm a tech billionaire and I can't wait to see the tax breaks, real estate and businesses my hedge fund can scoop up and leverage I can exert over a desperate city for a paltry $100mil"
8
@Connie Portland is the opposite of a desperate city. Come visit - you can feel the energy in the shops, and in the conversations and community events that are ongoing.
4
@Jennifer
Not intending to dispare Portland per se but if the article writer is painting a true picture, i.e., the city feeling it needs tech to keep going, that is desperation in my book. The city does seem to be doing fine right now as you suggest but obviously some people in city planning/government don't think it's doing well enough and are willing to take a punt on something that will certainly have benefits for some - but are going to leave many others behind. A lot of cities (including Asheville, NC where I live) are grappling with how to branch out beyond tourism but fully embracing a sector that will cannibalize a large amount of the population for the benefit of a relative few doesn't seem a sensible bet to me. We've already seen how this story plays out.
P.S. - No one else finding the touting of all the great new AI/automation technology jobs that will be created while not discussing for one second how many jobs those new technologies will erase just a bit much?
3
Very good news, but what did the photo of the Portland wharf bring to the article? It’s a working waterfront, which is usually only picturesque from a distance. Very prosperous lobstering towns look like that up close.
6
Mainer here. The photo choices for this article are beyond ridiculous. Roux, the benefactor, is pictured standing forlorn next to some dirty snow somewhere in Portland's harbor. The City Manager is shown in a dark, ominous portrait that makes it look like virtually no light penetrates the place in the winter. Then we get a shot of a downtown ceramics exhibit (um, what?!), and worse, another dark, moody image...of a tarnished, rusting, rotting structure by the water. Finally, there's a picture of what looks to be lobster boat heading off into the frigid dawn.
It's a patronizing putdown and 180 degrees OFF, because this is supposed to be a story about cutting-edge research, about initiative and forward thinking and innovation. If this were a story about a brand new expensive research institute in Boston or San Diego, do you think the photographer and her editors would've deemed it a good idea to focus on a bunch of gritty photos from a decaying part of the waterfront? Of course not — we'd get images suffused with gleam and brightness and optimism.
For shame, New York Times.
49
@RvB
One of the more descriptive posts I’ve read. Your frustration at the photos is well written. “Lobster boat into the frigid dawn”.
10
As an aside unrelated to the content of the article, NYT please don't hyperlink to research report "sources" that must be purchased to be reviewed. Either don't link to them, or, using the NYT's ample resources, come to an agreement with the publishers to make those stories/reports available to everyone who is redirected from the NYT for some period of time.
5
While I think it's great that Portland is diversifying itself as a city, to summarily dismiss two of the largest drivers of our state's economy with a hand-wave "Lobstering and tourism will not suffice" is frankly stupid.
Don't bite the hand that feeds you, Portland. Tourism brought $6.2 billion dollars (that's Billion with a B) to Maine in 2018. That doesn't sound like an economic driver to you, Mr. Jennings?
9
@Kat Have you been down our way lately? Because I've never seen (or heard) so many massive cruise ships docking here. Maybe that's not the type of tourism we all dream of, but it certainly is embracing it with open arms (and tax breaks, I'm sure).
3
@Kat I would also suggest that is is probably the intersection of aquaculture/bioscience that may yield the most interesting long term gains for the region.
3
I can't be the only person who is sick of hearing about machine learning and AI and how we can't live without it - or rather won't be allowed to live without it. Can't Silicon Valley stay where it is and stop ruining our lives everywhere else? I guess next they will announce they are a Smart City and 5G radiation emitting antennas will be located on every corner. Maine - Save Yourself. You are wonderful just the way you are.
12
No one seems to be talking about the decline of higher education and what that portends for this investment. The 2025 demographic "cliff" is coming and I wish this article had addressed that as a factor in this institution's success. Many middle range colleges are already underwater and will be out of business in 10 years. Perhaps this move will cement Northeastern just in time for the last scrappy enrollment fights. Maybe they'll be one of the few institutions still standing. It certainly appears that Roux is taking a non-traditional approach to their offerings (focus on internships, not designing their program around outdated accrediting bodies, etc.). This is a big bet. I hope it works for Portland.
5
When will we start looking at the cons of cities becoming tech hubs? Vancouver (BC), Seattle, and San Francisco are just three of a growing number where many people can no longer afford to live.
10
How funny. The biggest college in Portland just spend oodles of money exploring a name change from "University of Southern Maine" to "University of Portland" to cash in on the tourism appeal for parents of prospective out-of-state students. Usually, colleges want to promote their rigorous academic offerings, the wonderful job placements graduates enjoy, etc. Instead, the administration decided that simply promoting the great restaurants and club scene was sufficient reason to spend millions on signage and stationary. This will not be an economic engine for Maine other than for realtors who will be able to raise rents even higher than before. Already, the 'lively scene' in Portland is being decimated as daily reports of beloved institutions are closing with owners choosing the rewards of selling the properties they've owned, or who can't afford rising rents, or can't attract employees because young people leave the state for better opportunities. Once Roux College graduates students, the lucky ones may find jobs in Portlands small tech sector, the rest will move away to where they can find better jobs and lower rents. North of Portland, the state doesn't embrace change very well, with most of the state not covered by regular cell phone coverage and high-speed internet a luxury for those who live in the most populous areas. Stilla nice gesture from a local philanthropist seeng that the state's university system lacks the vision or capacity to meet tech sector needs.
5
@Brian
"Once Roux College graduates students, the lucky ones may find jobs in Portlands small tech sector, the rest will move away to where they can find better jobs and lower rents. "
Where will the grads find lower rents? San Francisco, or Boston, or New York, or Austin, or Seattle, or San Diego?
Dan Kravitz
4
A good review of hazards or benefits of jump starting knowledge employment in a geographic area.
But, if Eduardo had take a trip to Idaho and visited Micron Technologies headquarters, he probably would have used another state to illustrate the importance of location.
3
Portland is a great place to visit. If you live here it’s pretty boring - it’s more of an overgrown suburb or small town, including in the limited mindset of most people who live here. Maybe this investment will attract people here who have wider horizons; that would be a big help.
4
I live in Portland and this is fantastic news. Maine is an aging state with young talent fleeing. If this helps bring back vibrancy, job-wise and revenue-wise, it is a no brainer, no pun intended. Yes, square footage costs will (continue to) rise. But there are so many beautiful places to commute in from; I certainly don't live in downtown and, after spending many years in another big city, can say that my short commute is still much easier than larger growing population centers. And a rising tide will lift all Maine ships. If Portland continues to boom, the rest of Maine will start reaping those benefits, too, as state revenue increases, as students from all over have more opportunities, and as more, younger, people flock to our beautiful state. Dirigo.
16
The vast majority of Maine's economy is centered in Southern Maine and population trends show the Portland region as the hotbed of growth and vitality. Roux's decision to site the institute here complements our desire for clean, knowledge-based jobs. It couldn't come at a better time as the city and region also are working on efficient transit and housing options that will help minimize sprawl while retaining all that we love about Maine.
While the excellent article by Mr. Porter was informative, I don't believe the accompanying photography accurately reflected the decades of modern architecture, limitless entertainment, historic restoration and the eminently walkable city Portland has become. Bravo, Mr. Roux. Your choice was perfect.
11
@Tony Agreed. Portland is a lovely place, and the photos chosen for this article do it a great disservice.
8
It's so great that people have already made this a success and have to worry about affordable housing. Perhaps taking a lesson from the other Portland and encouraging multi unit housing and discouraging single family, big lot homes. However, getting out ahead of this before housing stock gets built is paramount.
3
Look at a map. Portland is in extreme southern Maine, more connected geographically, economically, and politically to Massachusetts (like southern New Hampshire) than to the rest of the state (it's a loooong wa north to Canada). It's a nice city, reasonable-sized with attractive amenities; but it's already got a problem with gentrification and affordable housing ("the next Brooklyn", some say). Those rural aspects that some find attractive (some of us actually LIKE Winter) are within easy reach; and a 60-mile commute will actually take only an hour or so.
3
This is great news for Maine. Too bad Connecticut could not take advantage of such an offer! Close to NYC and Boston and right now is in the dumps with companies moving out and no one coming to replace them.
Portland is a great city and it’s residents should think hard about what they wish for. Look what’s happening to SF. And there are still some people who remember the Orlando area before it was “blessed” with the arrival of Disney.
48
@Chet As it is, Portland ME is becoming unaffordable to most. This will only worsen the situation.
29
@Sasha Love Porland is unaffordable only because there are few good jobs at good wages driven by the lack of qualified people to fill good jobs with good wages. This will only help.
27
@David I live in Portland and have family here. The peninsula is now filled with condos and hotels. The service workers are forced to live out of town because the rents are so high. I live in the suburb and as a retiree find myself wondering how long I will be able to afford to live here.
31
I think this sounds like a very interesting initiative. My only reservation is that it seems like a missed opportunity that the local colleges aren't driving this - or at a minimum partnering with Northeastern. This seems like it should be in Colby's wheelhouse as they continue to build out their programs...
14
@Bhold
The Press Herald article says that UNE and the U Maine system has partnership plans in place.
4
Portland ME in the summer, Gorgeous. Portland ME in the winter redefines bone chilling cold and grey.
Good airport, nice housing stock in surrounding areas and islands but definitely a struggling former industrial northeastern city.
Dean Kamen set up a very innovative shop just south in Portsmouth NH so it can work and attract talent but...
I wish them success. The state needs something other than hunting and fishing.
5
@CNNNNC Portland is even better in the winter! We ski out our front door, go to world class restaurants with no lines, visit our five (at last count) independent bookstores, keep ice skates in the car, have bonfires in the backyard on Christmas Eve, embrace the rhythm of the seasons, and have tremendous respect and reverence for our rural state-mates who grow the food and steward the water that makes our state unique. Sounds like you need to visit again. There are huge investments happening by large established and emerging companies. Come on up!
4
I wish some philanthropists would invest in research on how to save us from technology & consumerism.
14
Sounds like a brilliant move for Portland. It's a gorgeous area with a high quality of life. I have several nieces and nephews who have moved there and love it. Along with high paying jobs, the high tech industry usually has much better benefits for their employees too.
I have seen the same thing happen right here in New Hampshire. In Manchester, our largest city,
high tech wizard/pied/piper Dean Kamen has transformed a dying 19th century mill yard into a high tech powerhouse.
Best of luck to Portland!
75
I'm a fairly recent alum from Northeastern from the Portland area and I'm not optimistic about this at all. The school continuously encroaches on the communities that surround it and gives little back while enjoying its tax-exempt status. Even much of the student body resents the impact the school is having on those who live near it.
Portland is already experiencing gentrification, why on earth should we be cheering on something that will undoubtedly exacerbate it?
45
@M
So you can get an entry level tech job in San Francisco and find an extremely cramped but decent place to live within 1 1/2 hours. Or you can get an entry level tech job in Portland and find a very spacious but decent place to live within 30 minutes.
Dan Kravitz
8
Before everyone from away decides what’s best for Portland, let’s keep things in perspective.
I grew up in rural Maine and most places in the state would love to have the problems of rapid growth versus a dying population and no long term job opportunities.
Secondly, Portland is already expensive compared to the rest of the state. Unlike other cities like SF, NY, or Boston there is no shortage of land outside of Portland to build on. Being “priced out” of the already expensive downtown area means moving 20 minutes inland to a substantially cheaper town. If this risk means infusing Maine with tech money and talent to grow subsequent opportunities, it’s a slam dunk for the state.
137
@B D Duncan You are 100% correct (in my opinion) I almost wrote the same comment word for word regarding the "housing" situation. There are so many wonderful communities within a 20 minute commute from Portland that are very affordable.
As someone from the Boston area, I know what it's like to be "priced out", however it was from nearly the entire eastern half of an entire state! We could have bought in Mass, but would have been very much house poor.
Now I live in Mid-coast Maine (40 minutes outside Portland) and couldn't be happier, except for when I was trying to find a decent paying job. Maine desperately needs higher paying jobs, and especially in a sector that is nearly non-existent in the state. Perhaps these jobs will help retain the younger generations of Mainers, that are now going to college, and would like to stay/come back to Maine. This state seriously needs help, it's not going to maintain itself on fish, lobster and 70+ year old retirees.
15
I hope for their success
However please take the Environment as the number 1 consideration when zoning for housing and other buildings please make affordable transit too
2
I wish someone would do the same here in Vermont.
1
It's too cold there, the weather is nasty except for a few months when the tourists are there.
2
@Tibby Elgato Yes, winter is cold. But good weather goes beyond "a few months" here. Most tourists come here in June, July and August, but September and October may be the nicest months.
1
@Tibby Elgato
Tibby,
I have some excellent advice for you: Don't move to Portland. YMMV (your metabolism may vary).
FYI here is the official Maine seasonal calendar:
June - Spring
July to August - Summer
September to October - Fall
November to March - Winter
April to May - Mud
Dan Kravitz
Jan-Mar - winter
Dan Kravitz
2
@Tibby Elgato sounds like you have not really visited! There is no bad weather, just inadequate clothing. The weather is even better in the fall, and winter is quieter, and more reflective. We live with the pace of the seasons. Your comment suggests you do not really know what it is like here - move East and grow with your country!
6
He’s smart to build an AI research center. This is research that can be done from anywhere as opposed to semiconductor research which can only be done in massive factories. There’s a reason that things tend to cluster in certain areas.
1
Vibrant cities also create liberal voters, if we can grow more of them, the country will go bluer and that's a great thing too. I hope this works and I hope more medium-sized and small cities have a similar influx of jobs and population.
7
Amazed at the number of "Debbie or Donald Downers" posting here. Yes, if this works there will be issues - see San Francisco as an extreme example. As the article points out, there are also issues with the status quo in Portland as well. No free lunches people, that's why the Good Lord gave us brains so we could use them to figure things out. If this generous person chose to invest in his home state in this way, I say awesome.
23
This could be great for southern Maine but I echo the concerns about affordable housing. This region's housing is already very expensive, and most towns outside of Portland are reluctant to build affordable family housing for rent or purchase. The state will have to step in. Encouraging your legislator to vote in favor of the Maine Affordable Housing Tax Credit would be a good step- it will be up for a vote in this session.
14
@agass
There is affordable housing ALL over Maine - it is a huge, wide open state. More desirable coastal areas are always more expensive.
It's called free enterprise - it is the engine that has brought billions of people around the world out of poverty.
3
@Paul Shindler Sure, you can live anywhere in Maine, but there are plenty of hidden costs, such as spotty access to medical, mental and dental health care, roads that will require yearly work for your car's suspension, low-speed internet access, struggling schools, and housing stock that suffers from a very low bar when it comes to construction standards. But you go for it...
2
@Paul Shindler There is affordable housing all over Maine IF you can afford the expense of car ownership. Many of us can't.
Also, "free enterprise" had impoverished as many people as it has helped. Or more. Around the world.
1
Portland Maine and region have much to offer but these plans need to consider the high cost of housing and invest in affordable housing as part of their plan. Eve not now grad students here have a huge struggle finding decent affordable housing with often long commutes.
9
Why do we have to rely on billionaire benefactors. This is the kind of investment the federal government should be making.
18
@Jason Sosnovsky Because the federal government generally makes a boondoggle of it both when it chooses what to "invest" in as well as when it (mis)manages those investments. This investor, who grew up in a blue collar city in Maine, and smartly built a fortune is precisely the right kind of person to fund and lead this initiative.
8
@Jason Sosnovsky you are, in large part correct. The major tech and scienceadvances of the 20th century stem directly from the massive investments in research and development, spearheaded by Vannevar Bush, around World War 2. There is a direct line. The reason the government needs to invest more squarely is that no individual even comes close to matching the required investments. In todays dollars what was spent is in excess of 400 billion per year. The investment has generated remarkable gains. Private investment will never come close.
2
Sounds good, but after watching the housing prices get jacked everywhere a tech company grows, I'd advise someone work with the local govt. Young families need energy efficient safe housing within their income, not a cramped never updated apartment that leaks heat like a sieve, has lead paint/pipes, and avocado appliances, for 33% or more of their gross salary just because the town won't approve enough building permits to meet the demand.
8
As a veteran San Franciscan finally accepting that it’s finally time to leave this once wonderful city all I can say is be careful what you wish for. Without serious regulation the tech industry is like a locust to the economy and culture of a place. Eventually it eats up and destroys most things non-tech (and non-tech monied) related.
41
Smart. It's why Google and Boeing are locating higher tier tech jobs in new buildings across the street from M.I.T. This way, the internships are merely a walk across the street. And Amazon's new building with 2,000 workers (A.I., robotics, cloud computing), will be only a few stops away via the Red Line.
3
This initiative will no doubt further the rise to intellectual prominence of the once-largely unknown Northeastern University. I remember it as a huge university in the 80s and 90s that focused on making its students job-ready. Students spent half the year working in jobs in the community, half in classes. Guess it made it possible to enroll twice as many students in half the space, with half of them working away from school at any one time.
So kudos to Josef Aoun who left his post as the accomplished Dean of the College at the University of Southern California to take the helm of this now-great Boston university.
I'm guessing that USC trustees wish they had chosen Aoun for their president, considering all the scandal that has befallen that Los Angeles school since it chose another.
11
Humph. Portland is already very expensive for real estate. I’d have preferred to see them use tech to try to breathe new life into Lewiston/Auburn to the north. Those cities (Lewiston in particular) are economically depressed and relying on recent immigrants from the Sudan to stem population loss.
.
It worked for Pittsburgh.
.
(I am a Texan by choice but a Mainer by birth).
18
@ZAW perhaps they can re-establish the train route Lewiston-Auburn to Portland? The track is already there...
3
Hopefully this will benefit the people of Maine, but it's easy to see this causing more harm as they already have to deal with a high cost of living and jobs that pay considerably less than other New England states like Massachusetts.
13
Portland is awful, I've been there a lot of times. You don't want to move there unless you like oysters and beer and the scent of the sea. Take the business to Detroit, or Gary Indiana, or someplace like that, wink.
9
@Muddlerminnow Portland is actually wonderful. I live and work in Portland. A tidy, historic city by the sea. Lots of cultural venues. Truly great restaurant scene. Young people are settling here and raising families. Retirees come with time, cash and altruism to make the city better in lots of ways. Portland is full of immigrants who are turning vanilla to a spectrum of flavors. Come and see sometime. You are full of incorrect thoughts.
20
@Muddlerminnow oysters and beer and the scent of the sea? Sold.
27
@ksmac Portland is wonderful. Best combination of quality people, place, and lifestyle, and I've checked out a lot of places. One thing it lacks is a top tier university, and hopefully this will help fill that gap.
6
I don't often see much good news in the NYT anymore, what an exciting announcement. I'm glad that those involved had enough vision and will to make this happen. The nattering-nabobs-of-negativity will inevitably complain, but the city is wise to prepare itself to offer opportunities in the careers of tomorrow. Well done Portland!
15
Portland is a great city. I visited often when my family had a vacation home about an hour away.the dock area is lovely. It’s a very walkable town, with a lot of surprises. Many many years ago, my girlfriend and I happened upon a shop dedicated to condoms! This was a pretty adventurous business at the time, and we didn’t go away empty handed. Like I said, Portland’s a fun place!
11
@Tom Alcatraz is a fun place to visit too. Come here in January and see how enjoyable it is.
@Tom Believe it or not, the condom shop is still there, despite staggering rises in rents. Must be selling a lot!
1
Build it and they will come? I wonder.
2
I've never been to Portland, but hear it's charming. Oh well, too late...
5
@Lauri Robertson No, it's not too late yet.
2
A lot of people are understandably concerned about the rising cost of housing, etc., that this would bring. What is the answer then? Where does progress properly land?
A house is the biggest investment a lot of people ever make. The owners there now will probably be quite happy with appreciating assets. Yes, it may price new people out, but again, what is the answer?
4
@Paul Shindler Appreciating assets AND rising taxes. This has already driven many long-term homeowners in Portland to have to sell and move away.
1
My son lives 20 minutes from Portland with his wife and 2 young children. It’s a wonderful area, beautiful, friendly, and the overall emphasis is on the outdoors in all seasons. For our grandsons this home provides excellent schools, tons of opportunities for outdoor activities from ice skating and skiing to hiking, beach walks, bicycling, snow shoeing, and campfires in the dark with s’mores! It’s a paradise for young children and their parents in the bounty of nearly free offerings just outside! And the area will indeed prosper with an influx to of a younger population to lower the current average age in Maine. Maine is as much a state of mind as it is a state of the Union. And that state of mind is independent, creative, simple in focus, and very committed to maintaining the beauty, health, and independent character of Maine and the unique quirkiness of Mainers as demonstrated by their annual embrace of a harsh winter with it’s own stark beauty that they see as a huge asset in filtering out the weaker sorts who cringe at temperatures below 20. Maine is a jewel kept safe from year round overpopulation by it’s climate, for now.
19
@Schimsa preach it!
2
I don't have $100M. But, my biotech startup has won almost $2M, and we just moved to Maine. What's not to like. We are working with a proven contract manufacturer in Portland. I'm recruiting for 2 new tech positions and screened over 50 qualified applicants who recognize Maine offers a terrific work-life balance. My office rent is 5X less than comparable space around Boston. I have yet to encounter any traffic or long TSA lines flying out of PWM. Amtrak gets me into Boston in 2 hours. The State has available tax incentives.
Portland will not become a tech hub overnight. Still, the Roux Institute, coupled with other tech companies moving to Maine, support from the State, nearby Universities, and Maine's hard-working citizens, will make Vacationland a great place to live year-round.
46
@John Konsin of Prapela A great place to live for in-migrant techie professional types, but how will the gentrification help Mainers?
2
@Morag
Those techie people who get those high salaries will be spending their money where they live.
Supermarkets
Restaurants
Tall ship cruises
Bicycles
Bike trails
Kayaks
Dry Cleaners
Salons
Sanitation
Schools for their kids
Plumbers
Barbers
&c
Vibrant communities consist of people. If nobody has any money, the community will not be vibrant.
Dan Kravitz
5
This is the problem with philanthropy. For the record, I'm a CEO of a mid-sized nonprofit so I know this issue well.
Individual donors (this can be governments as well) get an idea in their head. They don't think about the bigger picture, Resources are wasted and impact is diminished.
If you were investing $100 million to develop IT capabilities, does doing so in a place like Portland make any sense at all? I'm not saying invest it in Silicon Valley (not smart either), but look at the landscape, where a structure is already in place. Determine what the needs are.
Tragic.
4
Same criticism was leveled at John D Rockefeller when he established the Rockefeller Institute in 1901. Or, for that matter, the University of Chicago. David Roux didn’t make billions always making conventional choices. Lot of good could come from this.
5
@David I would recommend a small place like Rochester, NY- two major universities - the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology and several smaller colleges in the area. Low housing prices (at the moment), few traffic jams, good location (near Canada and the Finger Lakes wine region). Also there is a "downtown resurgenxce" going on. So, there is a structure already there, which Portland has yet to build.
1
@David
The structure is here. We have a fab. We already have small but significant tech. We have USM, UNE, Bowdoin and Bates (Colby's not as close). Boston's close; one reason we already have some tech is that rent is 1/5 of that on the 128 corridor in Boston, so some startups have already migrated.
Dan Kravitz
1
Being in technology is sort of hilarious.
The duality of nobody wanting us in their community yet everyone wanting us in their community. Your city trades its soul for high-paying tech jobs, White/Asian men and generally introverted individuals. We raise housing prices and don't add much to the community.
But my wife trained in cardiology till she was 34 just to make less than me when I was 30, so there is that. It has its upsides.
7
As a tech professional that recently left Portland for Charlotte, I will say that the talent pool in Maine is severely lacking. Most of the workforce is 50(+) in age and there is no real understanding or infrastructure for technology innovation. All of Maine's best and brightest left years ago to find a better future not dependent on lobstering or travel tourism.
Good luck getting people to move back or relocate. Portland has gotten incredibly expensive and the NIMBY attitude toward anything progressive is overwhelming.
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@Ginger I just moved my company here and found the opposite. Perhaps the difference in our experience is the company, type of jobs, compensation and recruiting tools we used. As far as Portland being expensive all I can say is relative to Boston, SF, Seattle, that is not the case. Relative to the Carolinas I would agree. I'm happy that so many of our applicants with strong educational credentials and experience want to live in New England.
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@John Konsin of Prapela
Good for you. But I think Maine's track record for innovation and development speaks for itself.
The tax credits Maine offers are used up within the 1st day of each calendar year. The program is horribly mismanaged and state leadership has no clue how to fix the issues.
Let's also take a look at what Maine did with its last economic opportunity, retail cannabis. Maine had the chance to be the CO of the East Coast, but legislation on all levels corrupted that opportunity so poorly it has yet to launch almost 4 years later.
I understand your need to blow the pro-Maine horn, because they gave your company money, but Maine and progress are polar opposites.
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Small talent pool in Maine?
So Colby, Bates and Bowdoin are chopped liver?
(Disclosure: Colby grad, 1986)
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Both Mr Roux and Mr Bloomberg are to be applauded for their donations through NEU and JHU, respectively. I don't begrudge either locale or institution the gifts. That said, I wish those other "30-40" billionaire donors Mr Roux is trying to entice into his initiative consider this option: Wouldn't $100 Million be a lifeline to 30-40 or so community colleges in the rural/impoverished areas of our country to help the "left behinds" who are so often mentioned now but were usually ignored (see 2016 election for impact). Community colleges have mandates to teach both job/trade skills and Shakespeare/Toni Morrison/etc. Just a thought...or wishful thinking...
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Just a reminder that many schools in Maine offer graduate programs in the sciences, including the University of Maine, which is an accredited research university with a world-renowned climate change institute, and has the cutting-edge Advanced Structures and Composites Lab, with the biggest 3D printer in the world.
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@Emily
I agree, and there is also the University of New England, which is very strong in the life sciences, medicine, etc. It's too bad that a Maine institution couldn't have been paired with this Maine philanthropist's money.
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Isn't this great. Portland is such a cool town. This reader is looking forward to his effort's success!
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It's worth remembering that San Diego's tech scene has been driven by a full university with a STEM emphasis, as was Silicon Valley's. UCSD and Stanford both had leadership that encouraged engineering graduates to start companies nearby and maintain symbiotic relationships with the university. It took many decades in each case to establish a local "scene". I'm concerned that the new institute may be too narrowly focused to support work on the next big thing after "AI" ; we'll likely have a switch to a new "big thing" during the 2020s.
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Living in Northern New England but not Maine, I can only say "Go for it". This is how to start a movement of people into a workforce that northern New England needs. I wish them well.
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In a couple of places the article refers to Portland "and northern Maine." I did not see what part of the plan would affect northern Maine.
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@Cliff Rugg the article mentions Maine and "northern New England"
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@Cliff Rugg
I think you misread something. There is not a single reference to "northern Maine" in this article. Instead, Roux is quoted in the article as referring to "Maine and northern New England," and Jon Jennings is quoted as referring to "Portland and Maine." Both statements are accurate and reasonable. Maybe you conflated them.
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@mm Please understand that for most Mainers, Portland is located in "North Massachusetts" and therefore defacto southern New England.
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Portland is such a great city. I could be enticed to move there someday. I hope they continue to prosper.
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One sentence describes the biggest problem with this plan: "innovators, apparently, do best when they are around other innovators"...a critical mass of excellent faculty, students, and start-ups is needed to generate the momentum seen in Boston, SF, San Diego, and Seattle. This is not accomplished with a 100Mill. A single paper in the prestigious life science journal Cell costs as much as 2Mill in order to conduct the reported research. The above mentioned research centers compete to the teeth for research funding and talent (and much of this talent comes from overseas). In our system, the rich get richer. The constant flux of ideas at big research institutions requires so much more than a building or two.
5
An interesting approach which I hope is very successful. But it's worth considering if there's a better, alternative use of 100MM$. This appears to be more of a trickle down play....educate in key fields to grow businesses which hopefully will grow the workforce, expand locally and make the local economy better for everyone.
But could 100 MM$ be better injected into the community? Small business loans? funding pre - K or improving high school education? Or, given that about 70% of Americans don't go to college, maybe the money would be better spent on community college improvement? I'm sure others have better ideas but I think its worth the debate of highest and best use of the money.
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@deedubs What is there to debate? Mr. Roux is prepared to give $100 million for a specific purpose that he considers worthy. The funds are not available to be diverted to what you or anyone else may think is the "highest and best use."
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@Joel I think it's reasonable to point out there well may be better ways of spending that much money if the aim is to improve the lives of Mainers. We understand this may not be Mr. Roux's aim and not what he cares about most.
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This is a bit like planting pineapple seeds in the middle of a field of sugar cane. They should be trying to diversify and grow what they already have an ecosystem for.
Davis, CA, like Portland, a small cities two hours from a major tech center, is a case in point of the difficulty of creating a business center. In funding, UC Davis is one of the world's top ten research universities, and one of the very best in food and nutrition, but it has been unable to startup and grow many businesses there. Local residents don't want the town to grow, the university has lacked strong leadership, and companies must move to the Bay Area to find the managerial talent necessary to grow.
How will Portland be any different? Leaders there should focus on diversifying and growing existing industry built on the skills and interests of existing residents. Veterinary medicine is strong there. So is seafood. Why not start with those industries?
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As a resident of northern lower Michigan, I have witnessed the effect a tech billionaire can have on a tourist town. Sure, the six figure jobs and exciting tech companies are showing up in Traverse City but the impact has not been all positive. Not everyone can be a six figure coder who drinks $8 lattes.
These techies need infrastructure to support their lifestyle. The barista, the clerk at the CVS, the teacher who will educate their children all need and deserve a living wage. Right now these people are being priced out of town to longer and barely affordable commutes.
If these billionaires rally want to make an impact, they should build affordable housing, fund trades programs and fight for a living wage for all of the community's residents.
The result would be a thriving and vibrant middle class that would benefit everyone who lives here.
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@Vink Your approach doesn't build the tax base necessary to build and sustain affordable housing, trade programs, and better government services. In fact, it does the opposite.
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@Vink These are some of the things that distinguish Portland from other places: it has much of the bespoke/hand-crafted/artisinal infrastructure (thanks to tourism) and a surprising level of activity in the arts. And Maine now has a minimum wage of $12, which is almost livable. Portland is less than 2hrs from Boston, so it is hardly the middle of nowhere.
Saturating the trades with hordes of graduates won't create a new middle class. It will reduce competition for employees in those fields and make them less likely to earn a living wage. Increasing the minimum wage so that even those on the bottom get a reasonable slice of prosperity is more effective. Maine has done this, and can do more.
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@Tom "a minimum wage of $12, which is almost livable"...$12 is far from livable in Portland, Maine...
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This is exciting news. One of our sons is working on his engineering degree at a university in Boston. and would like to eventually end up in Maine, having developed a fondness for it during our many vacations there. This will add immensely to its appeal. My husband and I are also considering the Portland area as a possible retirement location. Amtrak’s Downeaster, running from Boston to Brunswick, also enhances its attractiveness. Good luck!
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I will be watching with interest. If this is successful in Portland ME, it could be successful in the midwest around population centers and universities.
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@Sheri DH
Don't hold your breath about attracting high tech workers. Modern seaside port and glorious surroundings of mountains, lakes and woods, high education, good infrastructure and top notch transportation providing nearby access to other great cities, lobsters, maybe a little grass; versus crumbling factories surrounded by half abandoned housing and commercial property, broken school systems, rampant opioid a meth addiction and MEGAism, broken school systems, all surrounded by endless flatland and crossroads leading to nearby Walmart's and then hundreds of miles to nowhere.
I don't think so.
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@Glenn I don't understand your comment. Are you suggesting that everything in Maine outside of Portland is a "meth addiction and MAGAism" world?
@Kilkee I don't think that's what Glenn means. I think he's suggesting that the natural beauty and options in Maine - seas, quaint-ish towns etc - are a more attractive choice for young folks than landlocked Indianapolis in the midwest for example.
5
Goodbye, affordable housing in 10 years if this works. The streets in downtown Portland are narrow, charming, and reflective of that city's origins. Sad to see that disappear in the haze of new box apartments\condos, developers' dreams, and 37 unique artisanal brew pubs and cafes. Why can't money be spent to maintain and strengthen existing buildings and the waterfront area?
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@Phil Portland is already too expensive and full of artisan cafes, bars and a food scene that rivals any major city. Great to have buildings on the waterfront strengthened and maintained but Maine needs to move away from dying industries like forestry and fishing that are already in the clutches of climate change and into the 21st century and beyond. I think this is great for Portland and for Maine. Seasonal tourism doesn't cut it.
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Portland's city fathers and mothers ought to look at the effect of the infusion of high tech talent on real estate prices and put programs in place to avoid the housing inflation seen in other locales. Loss of affordable housing is a big issue in the other cities mentioned in the article. Progress comes at a price.
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@spike
The affordable housing in Portland is pretty much already gone. We lost it in the past couple of years when a big influx of young renters came here from Brooklyn etc looking for a more "authentic" lifestyle with pour-over cafes on every block.
The school system is already hurting, affordable housing basically doesn't exist (even in unfashionable neighborhoods), and property taxes are soaring to make up for state aid withheld from public schools, due to higher personal income tax rates. The Northeastern move will just make these things worse. I hope it might have some positive impact as well.
We also have big issues with infrastructure, and caring for our vulnerable populations (many people here are experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental heath crises, or are seeking asylum or refugee status, for example). Maybe Northeastern can step in and help support the most vulnerable Portland residents while they simultaneously create more wealthy ones.
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@H
"The affordable housing in Portland is pretty much already gone."
Oh, just wait. Median home price there is $309M, in Seattle it's $714M.
6
@Bill F. Compare salaries, though.
4
Consider San Diego? Let's.
San Diego not only has more than one university, it also has a medical school and one of the world's greatest centers for biomedical research, the Salk Institute. Portland has none of these things nor is it likely it will.
San Diego also has a major airport. Portland doesn't. Yes Boston may be only "two hours away" but if you're driving in the winter, it can take a lot longer. And in the summer one is often fighting massive traffic jams in southern Maine.
Finally, there's a little difference in weather. San Diego is beautiful year round. Unless you are into snow and a lot of cold weather, Portland has two, maybe three great months.
And I wonder how much of that real estate boom in Portland is due to people with money buying property and staying there only for those beautiful months and leaving as soon as the cold winds blow.
I lived in Portland and there are many good things about it and I hope I am wrong and the city prospers with this plan. I just doubt it will.
19
@Steve Sounds like New York (where I've lived) has gone to your head. It's precisely the downsides of living in places like New York, of which there are many, that makes Portland the perfect choice. The airport is great, and growing. Flying out of Logan, which is usually a choice for those who want to spend a little less, is easy, with great and frequent buses that take you right to your terminal and back. I've lived in Portland for many years and travel for business year round and the "massive traffic jams" have not once delayed my travels. Of course, just try getting to and from JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark. It's hard not to lose a little of your humanity in the process, too. San Diego's weather is fine, but it doesn't hold a candle to the splendor of the Maine coast year-round, the abundance of destinations for play and recreation, and the (mostly) non-pretentious people.
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@David As a 30 year Maine resident and a native New Yorker - I totally agree!
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@Steve
Hello @Steve - Maine Medical Center has a very strong relationship with universities in Boston. I don't know how you define 'major airport', but PWM is quite reliable and easy to use. We embrace our climate. After all, Maine is The Vacation State. We hope this works for our community.
BTW - I lived in San Diego for 6 months. I seem to remember massive traffic jams............I remember on e particularly horrendous drive to Anaheim to see the Red Sox play the Angels. Missed most of the game.
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