By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer
General Growth Properties (GGP), owners of the Maine Mall, will seek to draw more clientele to their property with the construction of new retail space, three restaurants and a 3,200 seat cinema – a project dubbed the Maine Mall Revitilization Project – but perhaps the most significant developments will take place underground.
As the property is located in the Long Creek watershed, identified by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as an urban impaired stream, the site’s run-off will be treated before it is eventually discharged into the stream. GGP is represented on the Long Creek Watershed Management Convening Committee, which is seeking to work with property owners to develop methods for addressing water quality problems.
On Tuesday, the South Portland Planning Board unanimously approved GGP’s plan, which will include the construction of roughly 40,000 square feet of new retail space, 12,500 square feet of common area and two restaurants at the corner of Gorham Road and Philbrook Avenue. A third restaurant inside the mall will be adjacent to a new 14-screen move theater on the site of the former Filene’s department store.  The plans also call for the creation of a 254-space parking lot on the southern corner of the property.
South Portland Planner Steve Puleo estimated the proposed storm water system and site improvements such as roadwork and sidewalks, could cost as much as $5 million.
The storm water system improvements include the creation of detention ponds, the creation of a gravel underdrain filter to cool and filter storm water, the addition of catch basins to direct storm water runoff from impervious surfaces through onsite water treatment devices, and the creation of bioretention cells which will filter storm water runoff prior to discharge into the detention basin.
GGP will also contribute $25,000 toward a city-wide study of “green” roof practices and their effect on water quality.
On Monday, the city council unanimously agreed to accept nearly $9,400 from GGP, a payment toward a compensation fee utilization plan (CFUP). The DEP’s 2005 Storm water Management Law requires developers either mitigate adverse water quality impacts by improving the quality of storm water run-off at an off-site location or contribute to a CFUP – an interest bearing account – that has been created and approved by the DEP. According to a memo from South Portland’s Water Resource Protection Director Pat Cloutier, the CFUP consists of 11 projects that will address pollution issues in the watershed. The city designs and constructs the projects with CFUP funds and the property owners are responsible for maintenance.
“It’s a beginning,” said Councilor Maxine Beecher. “In the ideal world, it would be perfect if we didn’t have a negative impact on the environment. I hope it gets to be a decent sum where we can really have an impact.”
 GGP will also be responsible for implementing various traffic and intersection improvements on site including additional lanes and additional warning signs and traffic signals. As part of improving traffic flow, GGP will pay for the development and implementation of an advisory radio system. Puleo said the city would eventually have the opportunity to take over the operation of the system, which would inform people about area traffic and parking issues. The station could potentially be broadcast to the entire greater Portland area, Puleo said.
“We’re going to try to schedule this around the peak shopping seasons and try to avoid peak snow,” Puleo said. “By and large the way we’ve developed what we call the improvement areas, should minimize the loss of parking and loss of the facility.”