Mahoney City Center Committee

Mahoney City Center Committee Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 6:00 PM City Council Chambers, City Hall, 25 Cottage Rd, South Portland, ME Page 1. ROLL CALL 3 Attached please find the City Council Order that created the Mahoney City Center Committee (M3C), along with the Rules as adopted by the committee. This is not an action item, these documents are included for informational purposes only. AMENDED ORDER - ad hoc Mahoney City Center Committee .pdf Mahoney City Center Committee Rules of Procedure - As Amended 111925.pdf 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A. Approval of Minutes from the February 24, 2026 Meeting 11 The committee is being asked to review and approve the minutes from the 2/24/26 meeting. Passage requires majority vote. Minutes - MCCC - 022426 DRAFT.pdf 3. PUBLIC COMMENT I Public Comment Part I is limited to 30 minutes, unless extended by a majority vote of the committee. Each speaker has up to three minutes to comment, and speakers during this part of the agenda cannot comment again during Public Comment Part II. Comments must be germane to the committee's work. 4. UPDATES/PRESENTATIONS A. Update from Owner's Representative and/or Design Team The committee will be provided with an update on progress since its last meeting from the project Owners Representative and/or the Design Teams(s). B. Update from Communications Subcommittee The subcommittee will provide the M3C with an update on its progress since its last meeting. C. Update from Funding Plan Subcommittee The subcommittee will provide the M3C with an update on its progress since its last Page 1 of 13  meeting. 5. ACTION ON OLD AND NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion Regarding Council's Direction from March 19, 2026 Meeting The City Council has recently directed staff to pursue a November 2026 bond question that would construct a new Police Station at the former Walgreens site (279 Main St), and to rebuild Central Fire Station on the existing site. Council has also directed the City's design team and M3C to look at a scaled down Mahoney project to just include City Hall and a renovated gym and theater. It would not include the Library and the third floor would remain vacant. On Thursday, March 19, 2026, the City Council will meet to further discuss Mahoney and the Library. In specific, they will discuss whether the Library should be added back to the Mahoney project, renovated on site, or built new at a location TBD. The Council will also discuss whether options other than Mahoney should be considered for City Hall, and whether the design team should explore a public/private partnership for the Mahoney project. As of the deadline for this agenda to be published, the results from the Council workshop are not known. The agenda item has been added so that committee members can discuss the results of the March 19, 2026 Council meeting, and take any action deemed necessary. 6. PUBLIC COMMENT II During Public Comment Part II, each speaker has up to three minutes to comment, and speakers during this part of the agenda shall not have commented previously in the meeting during Public Comment Part I. Comments must be germane to the committee's work. 7. ADJOURNMENT Page 2 of 13 ​ CITY OF SOUTH PORTLAND ​ ​ RICHARD T. MATTHEWS ​ Mayor ​ SCOTT T. MORELLI ​ City Manager JESSICA A. HUGHES​ BRANDON MAZER​ City Clerk​ Corporation Counsel​ IN CITY COUNCIL AMENDED ORDER #135-24/25 ORDERED, that the City Council hereby establishes the ad hoc Mahoney City Center Committee as described below: NAME The name of this ad hoc committee shall be the “Mahoney City Center Committee”. PURPOSE & TERM The purpose of this ad hoc committee shall be to assist staff, City contractors, and the City Council in implementing Order #34-24/25 , which directed, in part, “that the City Council hereby directs the City Manager to pursue the redevelopment of the Mahoney School Property for a consolidated City Hall, Library, and Community Arts center…with thorough consideration of the historic significance of the Mahoney Building.” This shall be accomplished via the tasks outlined in the “Duties” section below. The vision guiding the committee’s work shall be as follows: “This committee offers South Portland residents a unique opportunity to help shape the future of our city by guiding the transformation of the historic Mahoney site into a vibrant civic and cultural hub. Committee members will work alongside city leaders, architects, and fellow residents to ensure that Mahoney becomes a welcoming center for community life, city services, and the arts, for generations to come. The committee shall work to transform Mahoney and its site into an asset that serves our entire community for the next 100 years. Mahoney will become the public center of the community, providing opportunities for all, and a source of pride for South Portland and beyond. P.O. Box 9422 ∙ South Portland, ME 04116-9422 Telephone (207) 767-3201 ∙ Fax (207) 767-7620 Page 3 of 13 It will provide a gathering place for performances, lectures, and large meetings. It will provide a community arts space and continue to provide a space for indoor youth athletics in a space that can also be used for community events. It will serve as our Main Library, providing access to books and other media while also providing spaces for groups to share their skills and experiences, and learn from others. It will enable our city offices to function effectively and meet community needs while being housed in a single location. And it will provide a new police station and enable reconstruction of our Central Fire Department so that our public safety departments continue to be the best in the state.” The committee’s charge shall be limited to the Mahoney site and the improvements, alterations, potential expansion, and other design considerations of the Mahoney Building itself. The Public Safety site and all building design considerations related to Fire and Police stations shall be under the purview of the City’s consultants working directly with staff. Unless their charge is extended by the City Council, the committee shall be considered dissolved once a referendum is held in November 2026. MEMBERSHIP The committee shall be comprised of seven staff members and 12 non-staff members, who are residents of south portland, for a total of 19 voting members who shall serve until the committee is dissolved. Voting members shall include: · Seven members of the public, with each Councilor selecting one nominee from their district and two at large, and each nominee to be confirmed by the entire Council · Two City Councilors · A representative from the arts/theater community that would utilize the Mahoney auditorium, to be selected by the Mayor via an application process and confirmed by the Council · A representative from a local youth sports organization that would utilize the Mahoney gym, to be selected by the Mayor via an application process and confirmed by the Council · A representative from the neighborhood abutting the Mahoney property, either living on Ocean Street or Highland Avenue, to be selected by the Mayor via an application process and confirmed by the Council · The City Manager · The Asst. City Manager · The Library Director Page 4 of 13 · The Facilities Director · The Finance Director · The Sustainability Director · The Communications Officer The Police Chief, Fire Chief, owner’s representative, and members of the design team shall be ex-officio (non-voting) members of the committee. Members will become familiar with the Facilities Committee’s final report, including the needs of affected City Departments (space, uses, and functional needs). Members will also become familiar with the Mahoney site, including key characteristics of the property, locational values, limitations and constraints, etc. At its first meeting, and after hearing an overview of the project to date from City staff, the committee shall elect a chair, vice chair, and secretary. The chair shall work with staff to set and post meeting agendas and shall run each meeting. The vice chair shall perform the duties of the chair in the chair’s absence. The secretary shall ensure meeting minutes are taken and filed with the City Clerk. Officers shall not be City staff. MEETINGS The committee shall meet at least monthly. A quorum shall consist of 9 members, at least five of which shall be non-staff members. The committee may establish subcommittees to carry out portions of the committee’s responsibilities. DUTIES The committee shall have four general duties: 1) To facilitate two-way communication with the public and provide information about the project to assist in an informed referendum vote; 2) To advise the Council on certain design elements of the project; 3) To assist in developing a funding plan for the project; and 4) Provide a recommendation to City Council on a final project design with cost estimate and funding plan that can be sent to the voters for a November 2026 referendum. Page 5 of 13 1.​ Two-Way Communication Working with the Communications Officer and any public relations firm that may be hired, the committee shall be actively involved in educating the community about the proposed project, which can include working with SPCTV to prepare educational content about the history of Mahoney, and aspects of the project as they evolve. The committee should be prepared to participate in community events by, for example, providing a table with information or making speakers available to community groups, to educate the public about the project, obtain feedback about the project and incorporating that feedback into the project design as it deems appropriate. The committee shall meet with the Historic Preservation Committee and other City boards and committees, as it deems appropriate, to obtain their input and recommendations for re-use of the Mahoney building. The committee shall also host at least one meeting where a comprehensive presentation is made to the community providing a review of the committee’s work to-date and its findings. This meeting(s) shall include a public hearing to solicit additional public feedback. The committee shall consider this feedback and refine their analysis as they deem appropriate prior to presenting their initial findings to the Council at a workshop (see “Duties” below). The Communications Officer will build and implement an outreach and engagement plan with input from the committee. 2. Advising on Certain Design Elements of the Project The committee shall select three non-staff members to serve with staff of the City’s Manager’s choosing and the owner’s representative to comprise a selection subcommittee for the project design team, or design teams if the subcommittee determines that the project could be accomplished by teams with different skills for different aspects of the project. This subcommittee shall use the criteria contained with the design team request for proposals (RFPs) to select a winning bidder (with the Council ultimately voting to endorse the winning design team as the cost will exceed $100,000). Working with the design team, the committee shall have the ability to make recommendations on the project, consistent with Council Order #34-24/25 and this Order, with respect to the Mahoney Campus as follows: o Orientation of buildings and site layout o Parking and mobility o Landscaping and open spaces o Layout of community areas, including but not limited to the auditorium, gymnasium, and spaces for public meetings such as the City Council Page 6 of 13  o Building exterior design and architectural considerations o Whether programming for City Hall/Assessing, and/or Hamling Building, and/or Library services is appropriate for location entirely within a renovated Mahoney building, or to be partially located in a renovated Mahoney and partially in a new building addition to Mahoney o Possible community and/or governmental uses of any surplus space that might be available the Mahoney building. This shall include a review of the auditorium area to determine the optimal uses, to include live theater, community lectures, and other types of performances. This shall also include a review of the gymnasium to determine its adequacy for continued or expanded use for youth sports groups, along with other activities including as a polling location o Preserving the historic nature of the exterior, understanding that some modifications may need to be made for ADA, aesthetics, or space needs o Ensuring use of space is maximized and things like bathrooms and conference rooms are shared as much as possible o Whether additional land acquisition is necessary for this project The above decisions shall not reduce the square-footage/footprint requirements for City services, nor shall they impact programming for each department, as defined in the February 2024 Facilities Committee report prepared by Sebago Technics. City staff working with the design team shall retain decision-making jurisdiction over all other decisions, including but not limited to layout of all spaces related to departmental functions (e.g., office space, customer service areas, conference rooms, employee cafeterias and break rooms, storage, etc.); adjacencies; furnishing, fixtures, and equipment; etc. The committee shall also not make recommendations related to the Police or Fire stations, aside from siting and landscaping decisions should the Council opt to locate the Police Station at the Mahoney site. 3. Assisting on a Funding Plan for the Project The committee shall work with City staff to develop recommendations for a funding plan for the project to help minimize the property tax impact on taxpayers as much as possible. This shall include looking at the feasibility of grants, Tax Increment Finance (TIF) funds, alternative funding sources (such as a local option sales tax, etc.), fundraising, naming rights, etc. The Committee shall include this plan with the final project proposal to the Council. Page 7 of 13 4. Recommendation to City Council The committee shall present a final report and recommendations (incorporating its decisions and staff decisions) for the City Council’s review, consideration, and potential approval no later than the first City Council meeting in July 2026. This report shall include at least a 70% design, an estimated project cost, and a funding plan. The recommendation shall encompass the entire project with an expected single bond referendum question to voters. Prior to making this recommendation, the committee shall hold at least one workshop with the City Council before February 1, 2026 to provide an update on its progress and request any feedback that may be needed to aid in finalizing the committee’s work. Committee workshop requests shall be added to Council agendas in consultation with the Mayor without needing to go through the workshop request process outlined in Council Rule #34. Fiscal Note: Less than $1000 February 18, 2025 Page 8 of 13  Mahoney City Center Committee RULES OF PROCEDURE Adopted April 29, 2025 Amended October 28, 2025 The Mahoney City Center Committee (M3C) shall operate its normal business meetings under the following Rules of Procedure: Meeting Process • Unless specified otherwise, the committee shall follow the newest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order (RRO). While all members are expected to have familiarity with RRO, the Chair of the Committee shall be charged with interpreting and enforcing RRO. • The Chair shall run the meeting with assistance from the City Manager. The Chair will read each agenda item and then the City Manager or his designee will provide an introduction to the item. The Chair will then ask members if they have questions and, if necessary, ask for debate and then call for a vote. • M3C meetings shall be in-person by default. The M3C shall allow hybrid meetings when a committee member is sick (or caring for a sick family member) or when they are traveling. It is preferred (but not required) that committee members give advance notice prior to the agenda being published on the Thursday before the following week’s meeting so that the Google Meets link can be included on the agenda. Consistent with State law, if a meet is hybrid, members of the public may also participate remotely. Agenda Setting • Pursuant to the City Council Order creating the M3C, the Chair and City Manager shall set the meeting agendas. Requests for specific agenda items from non-staff committee members shall be reviewed by the Chair and City Manager, with the Chair making the final determination as to whether the item(s) is included. All requests for agenda item additions are due to the Chair and City Manager no later than noon on Tuesday prior to the following week’s meeting. Public Comments • Comment from the public shall be allowed at two points on the agenda: 1) at the start of each meeting after Roll Call and Approval of Minutes, and 2) as the last item of business before Adjournment. All comments must be germane to the M3C’s scope of duties. • Members of the public shall have up to three minutes each to comment during these two comment periods, however, if a member speaks during the first comment period, they shall not be permitted to speak at the second comment period. However, the Human Rights Commission shall have up to ten minutes during one of these comment periods when they have an item to bring forward. • The first comment period shall be limited to 30 minutes. Any member of the public who still wishes to speak after 30 minutes has elapsed shall be able to speak at the second public Page 9 of 13  comment period at the end of the meeting. By majority vote, the M3C may extend the initial comment period beyond 30 minutes. • Public comments shall not be allowed during any other agenda item. • If questions are asked at meetings during either public comment, committee members shall endeavor to answer after that comment period is over. • The Human Rights Commission shall be allowed up to ten minutes to speak during public comment. Email Communication • A single City email address will be established for the committee, with communications sent to this address being forwarded to the email addresses of all committee members. Senders shall receive an automatic reply providing a link to the Mahoney project page on the City website and noting emails will generally not be responded to. • Members may reply to emails from the public so long as they cc the M3C email address when doing so. • The City Manager (or his designee) may provide procedural information about meeting dates/times, upcoming agenda items, where more information can be found about the project, etc. If a member wishes to further discuss an issue arising from an email, they may request that the Chair add the item to a future agenda. Page 10 of 13  City of South Portland Mahoney City Center Committee MEETING MINUTES February 24, 2026 Meeting called to order at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. ROLL CALL Committee Chair Mike Hulsey, took roll call. Voting Members Present: Sharon Ames (Dist. 3), Maryann Brown (Dist. 1) Erin Callison (Dist. 4), Brian Clark (Dist. 2), Mike Hulsey (At-Large), Casey Oaks (Arts/Theater Rep), Michelle Sullivan (Dist. 5), Kevin Davis (Library Director), Shara Dee (Communications Officer), Don Hopkins (Facilities Director), Scott Morelli (City Manager), Ellen Sanborn (Finance Director), Josh Reny (Asst. City Manager) and Julie Rosenbach (Sustainability Director) Non-Voting Members Present: Dan Ahern (Police Chief), Craig Piper (Design Team – SMRT), Phil Selberg (Fire Chief), Adam Troidl (Owners Rep), Anthony DiLuzio (Owners Rep), Voting Members Not Present: Tracy Bissonnette (Youth Sports Rep), Richard Matthews (Councilor), Kris Rosner (At-Large), Jessica Walker (Councilor) Non-Voting Members Not Present: Anthony DiLuzio (Owners Rep), Adam Yothers (Design Team – SMRT) APPROVAL OF MINUTES Approval of Minutes from January 27, 2026 Meeting. Motion to approve by Brian Clark, Seconded by Don Hopkins For - The majority of the committee voted to approve the minutes. Against - none Abstain – 2 A recording of this meeting and past meetings can be found here. PUBLIC COMMENT I No public comment Jeff Steinbrink, Cottage Rd Discussed the campus as the whole block and the importance of visioning the project as such. Kate Mishkin, Romano Rd Advocated for Police at Mahoney site. UPDATES / PRESENTATIONS A. Update from Owners Representative and/or Design Team(s). Page 11 of 13 Adam Troidl from Colliers Project Leaders briefly reviewed the current status of the project contracts for site assessments and investigation. B. Update from Communications Subcommittee Shara Dee provided the M3C with an update on its progress since its last meeting. • No update. C. Update from Funding Plan Subcommittee Ellen Sanborn shared that the subcommittee did not meet since the last committee meeting. • No update. ACTION ON OLD AND NEW BUSINESS A. Discussion Regarding Council’s Direction from February 17, 2026 Workshop: Scott Morelli clarified at its February 17, 2026 workshop, the City Council received a presentation from the design team and considered the recommendation from M3C. Ultimately, the Council opted to not repurpose the charge of the committee, and directed the design team and M3C to proceed with option A1, adding in geothermal and dual elevators (similar to option B1). As such, the project would no longer include the Library, nor would it include the Police Station on the Mahoney site. Those facilities, and the Central Fire Department, will be handled separately by staff and Council. The goal is to hold a November 2026 referendum on the scaled-back Mahoney Craig Piper, SMRT, represent the design team, shared a draft that outlines the response to the Council’s direction. • Minimal site changes, no activity in the open space. Inclusion of the geothermal necessitates the renovation of the parking area. • Code upgrades are required for life safety, accessibility, and energy performance due to the building changing it use from school to offices and library. • With the Library program removed from the project there remains an unoccupied/unrenovated floor. The committee discussion raised concerns for public support of a partial renovation project with undefined vacant space. The committee approved waiving the public comment rules to permit speaking a second time this evening. PUBLIC COMMENT II Katie Osgood, Haven Road Would not vote for a partially compete building. Questions about historic building protections. Jeff Steinbrink, Cottage Rd. With Library remaining in current location, the ‘campus’ has two hearts, questioned if any portion of the library could be relocated to Mahoney. Page 12 of 13 Charlie Tenmey, Broadway Questions about historic building protections. -End of Public Comment- ADJOURNMENT Motion Brian Clark, Seconded by Sharon Ames For - The majority of the committee voted to approve. Against - none Meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m. Page 13 of 13