Portland commercial property owners are questioning a proposal that would require them to pay fees to register vacant storefronts with the city.
Under the proposed ordinance, the fees would kick in if properties have been vacant for three months or longer. They would range from $250 to $7,500, depending on how long the property is vacant.
The fees would be waived if property owners install temporary art in empty storefront windows, or if they can prove extenuating circumstances.
At a planning board hearing Tuesday night, commercial property owner Ed Gardner said he lost a tenant who had been on Congress Street for ten years.
"She moved out, closed the business because she just couldn't handle picking up needles, shooing people away from her doorstep and so on," he said. "I think we need to relook at this and refocus on why we have the vacancies downtown."
Portland commercial real estate broker Joe Malone said landlords aren't dragging their feet on purpose to lease up empty space.
Rarely do we lease a space in a 90-day window," he said. "It's much more likely to be vacant for six months, and another two-to-three months to get permitting and leases executed.
Some members of the Portland planning board also appeared skeptical and questioned whether the ordinance would truly fill vacant storefronts and address public safety concerns.
But the city planners said the initiative, which came at the request of city councilors, was intended to revitalize downtown Portland, particularly Congress Street and Monument Square.
This week, the non-profit Portland Downtown announced the launch of an ambassadors program in the city. Eight staffers will walk the downtown district after business hours and remove garbage, pick up needles and interact with members of the public.
On Tuesday night, the city planning board decided to revisit the proposal at a future meeting. The Portland City Council is expected to take up the proposed ordinance later this summer.
