Concert venue at Rock Row in Westbrook shuts down, but not because of COVID
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A rendering shows the Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row, as it was planned in 2019. The temporary performance venue is now being shut down as Rock Row is built out.
The show’s over at Maine Savings Pavilion, an 8,200-seat amphitheater at the Rock Row development in Westbrook. But unlike other recent shutdowns of event venues, this one has nothing to do with COVID-19.
Construction of Rock Row, a 110-acre mixed-use complex that’s planned to include over 2 million square feet of office, retail, residential and medical space, is simply crowding out the pavilion.
Rock Row’s owner and developer, Massachusetts-based Waterstone Properties Group, said in a letter to the city that future events are permanently suspended, “based primarily on planned permitting and construction activities that are taking place throughout Rock Row in upcoming months.”
It's not clear how many, if any, performances might be affected. Waterfront Concerts, which manages events for the Westbrook venue, isn't currently promoting any there.
The outdoor stage began hosting concerts in 2019, during the early phases of the development, and initially drew criticism from neighbors and even the Portland City Council because of noise complaints.
The 108-foot-by-60-foot stage, with a 175,000-pound load capacity, is southern Maine's largest performing space. But it was never intended to be a permanent part of Rock Row.
On Thursday, Waterstone spokesman Greg John told Mainebiz, “It was just a matter of time before construction caught up with the outdoor venue. It was always planned to be temporary. The fact that it happened so quickly — ahead of schedule, actually — speaks to the popularity of Rock Row.”
Much of the construction is now focusing on the creation of a medical and research campus. The six-acre complex-within-a-complex is expected to be open by late 2023, offering 200,000 square feet of space. New England Cancer Specialists, a physician practice, will be the anchor tenant and occupy 40,000 square feet.
Other phases of the $600 million development include 190 units of housing and a 200,000-square-foot retail building. An 80,000-square-foot Market Basket supermarket has already opened at Rock Row, and other tenants have signed on, including REI, Firehouse Subs, Big Fin Poke, the Paper Store, Chase Bank, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, U.S. Cellular and a 122-room boutique Element Hotel by Westin.
In addition, there will be walkways, streetscaping, 1,000 parking spaces and a 400-foot-wide natural quarry.
Rock Row will also include an enclosed, four-season performance venue to replace Maine Savings Pavilion; details will be announced “in the near future,” John said.
Concerns about the spread of coronavirus and its delta variant had no impact on the decision to end the pavilion’s run, he added.
“This was an expected event, as the pavilion was placed directly in the middle of a planned construction zone.”
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