In its first year, Yehia estimates that will amount to 2.6 million pounds. Unlike traditional Maine farms, Vertical Harvest's towering 68-foot urban hydroponic garden uses no soil and will be able to grow produce year-round. Because the initial TIF was not generating enough revenue, it was coupled with another TIF on a natural gas substation being built in the city. The parking garage is being funded through tax-increment financing, or a TIF, which makes use of the anticipated increase in tax revenue generated by the development. "As it gets harder to maintain farmland and as land becomes more scarce, people will be looking to (indoor farming) as the future," said Foley. (Foley) really had a vision that aligned with ours, that the farm could contribute to the community," Yehia said. Yehia was intrigued, especially because of the project's proximity to Portland and its restaurant scene. Day had heard about Vertical Harvest's original farm in Wyoming and wanted to bring a similar project to Westbrook as an "innovative component for his master plan," said Vertical Harvest Chief Executive Officer Nona Yehia. The idea for coupling the two projects came from developer Greg Day, who did not respond to requests for an interview. "The goal, really, is to have residential expansion in our downtown area because the region is in a housing crisis."īut without Vertical Harvest's farm, Foley said, there wasn't enough demand for the parking garage alone.
We really want people in our downtown to be able to support our businesses," said Westbrook Mayor Mike Foley. "The economic impact on our downtown is going to be huge with the addition of the parking garage. The garage will allow the city to consolidate its downtown parking, opening up other lots for commercial and residential development. Construction on the other components - 50 to 60 apartments and a 400-space parking garage - has been delayed by utility issues and the discovery of ledge under the site. That piece of the project, being developed by Jackson, Wyoming-based company Vertical Harvest, is set to be completed within two years. Over the last two weeks, a steel structure has risen near Mechanic Street - the first sign of upward momentum for a four-story indoor farm that the developer says will employ nearly four dozen workers with intellectual disabilities and produce millions of pounds of microgreens for the area's ever-expanding food scene. 22-WESTBROOK - In a former parking lot behind businesses along Main Street, steamrollers have been flattening a block-long swath of dirt and debris to clear the way for a new mixed-use development that the city hopes will fundamentally change its downtown.