Northeastern University's Roux Institute has the go-ahead to proceed with its plans for a new campus at the site of the former B&M Baked Beans Factory in Portland.
The city's planning board approved a site plan for the project, which includes the construction of a new graduate school building, research center, child care facility and parking garage with about 625 spaces.
Dozens of residents spoke about the plan at a meeting Tuesday night. Most were supportive, citing the plans to build new pedestrian and bike paths along the waterfront that would connect the new campus under Tukey's bridge and to the Back Cove Trail.
"They're also making a site that's going to be open to the public, akin to a park, and increasing access to the waterfront, when across the state we're witnessing the reverse of this," said Portland resident Ian Stevenson.
But many residents voiced concerns that the neighborhood will be overrun with traffic.
"This parking garage is so big," said David Silk, a member of the Portland Planning Board. "If it wasn't so big, there wouldn't be the incentive for people to drive onto the site. There would more of an incentive for people really to walk or take a bike or take METRO."
The university has said it will fully subsidize students' METRO bus passes to discourage driving to the new campus. The plans also include new traffic signals, crosswalks and other changes designed to alleviate an expected increase in traffic near the new campus and surrounding East Deering neighborhood.
Several residents said they want the university to provide a shuttle from an offsite parking area to the campus.
But the city's planning board included a few new stipulations in response to the traffic concerns. If the reliance on METRO doesn't pan out, the Roux Institute developers must seek additional changes to its traffic management plan. The site approval also includes a condition that will allow for additional traffic monitoring on the streets near the new campus.
The project still needs additional permits. The new campus is expected to open in 2027.
