Author: Portland Post

The housing crisis in Cumberland County has intensified, with the rental vacancy rate falling to a historic low of 1.2 percent — well below the 5 percent threshold considered a healthy, balanced market — according to a new report from the Maine Housing Authority. The report paints a stark picture of a market where demand vastly outstrips supply, driving rents to levels that strain even middle-income households. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Portland metro area has risen to $1,850 per month, an increase of 32 percent over the past five years. “We are in a full-blown…

Bath Iron Works, Maine’s largest private employer, has been awarded a $2.3 billion contract to build three additional Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers for the U.S. Navy, a deal that will sustain the shipyard’s workforce and add an estimated 1,500 new jobs over the next several years. The contract, announced by the Department of Defense on Tuesday, extends BIW’s role as one of only two shipyards in the nation capable of building the Navy’s primary surface combat vessel. The Bath-based shipyard has been building warships for the U.S. Navy since 1884. “This contract is a testament to the skill and dedication…

Acadia National Park is launching a significantly expanded free shuttle bus system for the 2026 season, adding new routes, increasing frequency, and extending service hours in a comprehensive effort to reduce the traffic congestion and parking shortages that have diminished the visitor experience at one of America’s most beloved national parks. The expanded Island Explorer bus system, operated in partnership with Downeast Transportation, will add four new routes connecting trailheads, beaches, and scenic overlooks that were previously accessible only by personal vehicle. Total fleet size will increase from 31 to 42 buses, with peak-season frequency on the most popular routes…

The State of Maine has launched a $50 million initiative to build a comprehensive electric vehicle charging network spanning from Kittery to Fort Kent, addressing the range anxiety that officials say is the biggest barrier to EV adoption in a state where long driving distances are a fact of daily life. The initiative, funded through a combination of federal infrastructure grants and state bond funds, will install fast-charging stations at intervals of no more than 50 miles along all major highway corridors, including Interstate 95, Route 1, the Maine Turnpike, and key east-west routes connecting inland communities to the coast.…

The ongoing transformation of Biddeford’s massive mill district has reached another milestone with the opening of the Pepperell Arts Complex, a 30,000-square-foot facility in the historic Pepperell Mill that provides affordable studio space, galleries, and classrooms for artists and arts organizations. The complex, which opened this month after a $5.2 million renovation, houses 24 artist studios, two exhibition galleries, a ceramics studio, a printmaking workshop, a community darkroom, and flexible classroom space. Rents for studios start at $200 per month — a fraction of what comparable space costs in Portland, 15 miles to the north. “Biddeford is becoming what Portland…

Public health officials in southern Maine are warning residents that tick season has arrived earlier than usual this year, with the first confirmed cases of Lyme disease reported in March — several weeks ahead of the typical timeline — as warming temperatures extend the window of tick activity. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 15 confirmed or probable cases of Lyme disease in Cumberland and York counties during March, compared to just three cases during the same period last year. Officials attribute the early activity to an unusually mild late winter that allowed deer ticks to become…

Casco Bay Lines, the ferry service that connects Portland to the islands of Casco Bay, has announced a significant expansion of its summer schedule that adds more frequent service to the most popular island destinations and extends evening runs to accommodate growing demand. The expanded schedule, running from Memorial Day through Labor Day, adds 14 additional round-trip departures per week to Peaks Island, six additional runs to Great Diamond Island, and new weekend service to Long Island and Chebeague Island. Evening ferry service to Peaks Island will run until 11:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, an hour later than last…

Portland’s nationally acclaimed restaurant scene is experiencing a surge of new openings this spring, with more than a dozen new eateries launching across the city in what industry observers say signals a strong recovery from the challenges that battered the hospitality sector in recent years. Among the notable arrivals is Tideline, a seafood-focused restaurant on Fore Street by chef Anna Kim, who previously worked at some of New York’s top kitchens. The restaurant emphasizes hyper-local sourcing, with a menu that changes daily based on what’s available from Maine fishermen, farmers, and foragers. “I moved to Portland because this is where…

The Scarborough School District celebrated the grand opening of its new $22 million Career and Technical Education Center this week, a state-of-the-art facility that offers students hands-on training in fields ranging from healthcare to advanced manufacturing to culinary arts. The 45,000-square-foot center, attached to Scarborough High School, houses eight program areas: nursing and health sciences, precision manufacturing, automotive technology, construction trades, culinary arts, computer science, engineering, and environmental technology. Each program features industry-standard equipment and is taught by instructors with professional experience in their fields. “This facility says to our students: your future matters, and the skills you learn here…

Maine’s lobster industry, the economic backbone of dozens of coastal communities, is navigating a period of significant change as warming ocean temperatures continue to shift lobster populations northward and deeper into the Gulf of Maine. Lobster landings in Maine totaled approximately 95 million pounds in 2025, down from the record 132 million pounds recorded in 2016 but still historically strong by long-term standards. However, the geographic distribution of the catch has shifted notably, with fishermen in the Midcoast and Downeast regions reporting stronger numbers while southern Maine and Casco Bay have seen more significant declines. “The lobsters haven’t disappeared —…