The report says the zoning proposal covers 13 acres on the western waterfront, within a wider 23-acre property that includes a terminal, warehouses, storage areas and an open coal pile.
The site’s future is already changing. Coal must be removed or permanently covered by 2027, while the pier is expected to remain available for maritime use under a different operator.
That leaves the city weighing two competing visions: a modern stadium district or a waterfront anchored by industrial and port activity.
Jonathan Culley, the club’s founding partner, argues that the existing facilities have reached the end of their useful life and that a stadium could make the site productive again.
The proposed development reportedly includes:
The Hearts also argue that retaining the pier would preserve the area’s maritime purpose. Critics, however, say a functioning terminal needs storage and industrial support beyond the dock itself.
Transport could become the sharpest practical obstacle. A recent survey cited in the update found that 81% of supporters arrive by car, while the project is expected to provide about 200 parking spaces on site.
The city is also considering specific rules for lighting, noise and other stadium impacts. The club has reportedly hired VHB to study traffic, but the wider question remains political as much as logistical.
The next planning meeting is expected to examine Portland’s comprehensive plan, with the City Council holding the final say. For the Hearts of Pine, the next storyline is whether their stadium vision can win support without severing Cassidy Point from its maritime roots.