The Maine Savings Pavillion at Rock Row is part of a $600 million project in greater Portland, Maine.
The Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row is a new outdoor amphitheater under construction as a part of a mixed-use development. It sits on a 100-acre site in the greater Portland, Maine area.
Situated between Portland and Westbrook, Maine, the 8,200 capacity venue is slated to open by Memorial Day. Maine Savings Federal Credit Union signed naming rights for an undisclosed sum.
Rock Row, the name of the overall $600 million, 2.4 million square-foot development, is situated on an old gravel quarry. Plans include retail, restaurants, commercial and residential spaces. It will take five to seven years before completion, said developer Josh Levy, co-founding principal of Waterstone Properties Group and Rock Row's developer.
The entire project, including the amphitheater, is being privately financed.
“We traveled around the county to 15 different cities looking at mixed-use projects. There’s some great examples,” Levy said, highlighting the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, a $200 million mixed-use entertainment complex that opened last year.
The amphitheater's project cost is between $3 to $5 million. The site man has a sloped lawn that will include premium, general admission and lawn seating.
Levy and his executive team chose Waterfront Concerts to operate and book the venue. Waterfront Concerts partners with Live Nation and also manages Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor, Maine. The concert group hosts a summer concert series every year at the Maine State Pier, and that series will move to The Maine Savings Pavilion, which has double the capacity.
“For us and for Waterfront Concerts, we are very focused on the concertgoer experience and creating easy access,” Levy said.
The development sits next to a major interstate and requires substantial off site infrastructure work, including reconstruction of highway exits, said Jennie Franceschi, director of planning and code enforcement at the city of Westbrook.
“We’re actively meeting with Waterstone and with Waterfront Concerts to make this make this a real successful endeavor,” she said, noting that the developer already has invested $10 million in infrastructure upgrades.
Phase one of the project includes a new 80,000-square-foot supermarket called Market Basket. In total, the entire development will have 450,000 square feet of retail, including a 25,000 square foot “brewplex” and food hall.
The site also include 26 acres of recreational space with a large pond. A 12-screen movie theater, 750 residential units, roughly 300,000 square feet of commercial space and 100,000 square feet of medical and wellness offices are also included in the project.
“We’re thrilled. There’s some really cool history at this site, and it’s a really cool project,” Levy said.
Waterfront Concerts founder Alex Gray has been involved with the development of the amphitheater since day one.
“(Levy) understood that in order to create foot traffic, he needs this type of venue coupled with a few other major attractions,” Gray said.
In the past, Gray has filled the concert series with acts such as ZZ Top, Kip Moore, Ziggy Marley, and the Goo Goo Dolls.
The venue will have a 175,000-pound load capacity, allowing for larger scale performances, Gray said. The amphitheater's slope will have an elevation of 14 feet, ensuring “premium sightlines” for guests at all performances, he said.
The city of Westbrook’s planning board approved the development of the venue and the concert series in December.
“We’re very excited about the possibility of having so many people coming to Westbrook and be a part of our community,” Franceschi said.