MAINE PUBLIC • February 14, 2024
The developers of the new Roux Institute campus on the Portland waterfront say their latest plans account for sea level rise, storm surge and other impacts from climate change at the site of the former B&M Baked Bean factory. The former cannery building will be converted to office space. But the developers acknowledged the first floor of the former B&M Baked factory will be vulnerable to flooding, and they said nonessential services, such as indoor bike storage, will be located there. The latest plans for the first phase of the project call for a 238,000-square-foot academic building, a parking garage with 625 spaces and a day care center that would serve 50 children. Neighbors close to the proposed site of the new Roux campus in Portland said they're concerned about traffic and parking in the area, particularly when school lets out in the evenings.