Portland, ME Port Property, a locally-owned and operated development and management company, presented the identity of its newest mixed-use community within the city’s West Bayside neighborhood – The Armature at Hanover Works.

Located at 52 Hanover St., the 239,000 s/f building will include 171 apartment homes consisting of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floorplans, and will feature a collection of amenities and finishes throughout the building’s eight stories. The ground floor will offer four commercial spaces which will join an indoor-outdoor retail and dining destination set to be known as Hanover Works.

Purchased by Port Property in 2017, 52 Hanover St. was the last of six public works buildings sold by the city for redevelopment. Previously, the site served as a mechanical garage and surface parking lot for the city’s fleet of public works vehicles, tasked with keeping the city moving every day through the use of actual engine armatures. This history inspired The Armature’s name and branding. When the city relocated all public works operations out of West Bayside, the garage and parking lot sat vacant and abandoned. The Armature at Hanover Works drives forward a new era for the site, evolving its identity from its industrial past to create a unique mixed-use community surging with revitalized energy and modern design.

Designed by Boston-based architecture and interiors firm CUBE 3, and constructed by Maine-based Penobscot General Contractors, The Armature will showcase a U-shaped, three-tiered exterior configuration with a living wall running along Parris St. Inside, every apartment at The Armature will offer open-concept layouts with nine-foot ceilings, stainless steel appliances, designer paneled flooring, quartz and granite countertops, modern lighting fixtures, and smart home build-ins. Select apartments will also feature balconies looking out onto Hanover and Lancaster St.

The ground floor will feature a local destination: Hanover Works. Connecting to an urban landscape of businesses at Port Property’s redeveloped 82 Hanover St., the four commercial spaces at The Armature will join the full Hanover Works offering which includes Wilson County Barbecue, Banded Brewing, Batson River Brewing & Distilling, CycleBar, and others. Sharing a tree-lined easement filled with outdoor patios and pedestrian activity, Hanover Works will serve as a community hub for residents of The Armature, neighbors and visitors to enjoy. Port Property’s award-winning and locally owned management team, headquartered at 82 Hanover St., will oversee The Armature as it joins the company’s growing portfolio within West Bayside. Last October, Port Property acquired a substantial real estate portfolio in the neighborhood and subsequently submitted a comprehensive development plan, known as a Master Development Plan, to the city’s planning department for consideration. Situated centrally in West Bayside, The Armature will represent Port Property’s largest residential development project to date and will be completed prior to the start of Phase I in their Master Development Plan.

“This project is a reflection of Port Property’s unwavering commitment to West Bayside,” said John Laliberte, head of Acquisitions and Development for Port Property. “The Armature brings much-needed housing to West Bayside, including 19 workforce units. Residents will experience a heightened level of apartment living unmatched in Portland while simultaneously adding to the continued growth and diversity of the surrounding neighborhood at Hanover Works and beyond. The vision for this development has been many years in the making, and we couldn’t be happier to introduce The Armature and finish the transformation of this former garage into housing.”

The Armature is scheduled to open for occupancy in summer 2023, with preleasing expected to begin this spring.