Posts Tagged as ‘Martingale Wharf’

August 27, 2010

Construction in the City

For those of you who drive downtown on a regular basis – you know that it has been a trying summer.  State Street has been loudly under construction as its wastewater system gets an upgrade, with a new stormwater runoff separation system being implemented, along with new brick sidewalks and street lighting.  While it’s going to be gorgeous when it’s all done – the road has definitely done a number on the suspension of my car from driving home each night.  I thought I’d bring the camera along to lunch at Googie’s this week to snap a few shots of the progress being made.  It’s actually quite fascinating to peer down into the holes that are being dug in the pavement….a few of the guys told me they’d found the old wooden sewers from a couple hundred years back – and I’ve seen some brick sewer piping in one of the trenches too.

The next shot features one of the storm drains that will be a central part of the State Street system.  I can’t wait til I can feature the newly paved State Street with all of its new street lamps – and motion blur from all of the swiftly moving traffic that will return.

This shot features the Martingale Wharf building as it gets another layer to its skin…as seen from Bow Street.

August 24, 2010

Martingale Wharf | Reflections of a Changing Waterfront

This shot was taken setting out on the sunset harbor cruise on the Heritage.  I snapped this single exposure with the incredibly sharp and vibrant Carl Zeiss lens that I’ve rented on a couple of occasions – and I just loved the rich blues of the water and the sky.  I’ve always thought that the Martingale Wharf building was pretty massive when seen from Bow Street…as it takes up so much of the street front – but it wasn’t until we were heading back in from the cruise that I realized just how massive the structure is.

Seen here the water side of the building is partially covered in tarps – as construction has progressed through the summer.  If you are walking up Bow Street, you might notice the fire sealing/insulation on the interior of the structure – so I imagine it’s only a matter of time until the skeleton of the building gets its skin.  I can’t wait to see what the structure looks like when its brick facade is installed….and it will be a welcome change to this seemingly stagnating waterfront visage.

May 16, 2010

Martingale Wharf Under Construction

The Martingale Wharf building continues its growth out of the ground this week.  The steel is being erected in the place of the former building that had to be torn down due to safety concerns.  In the top shot of the two below, you can see the Middle Bridge and the Piscataqua River Bridge in the distance.  The view won’t be around for much longer from this side of Bow Street once the project is complete.  I just wanted to share a little status update for everyone who hasn’t been able to make it to this side of town recently – the floors seem to be going up quickly.  I haven’t heard much around town about what target completion dates are for the project – or when we might see some tenants.  As usual, stay tuned for more!

May 13, 2010

An Evening in Kittery | The Portsmouth Waterfront

I decided to head across the river to see what the evening sunlight might bring.  Today’s featured shots are a bit less dramatic than typical photos shared on the site, but I was taken with the beautiful light and how it was hitting the skyline – and thought that the au naturale shots looked better than the dramatic styling (and I need a better zoom lens!).

There was some interesting boat traffic, a fisherman showed up later in the evening – he came underneath the Middle Bridge from further up the Piscataqua to check out the scene near the tugs, hung out for a few – and then headed back up river.  A tugboat returned to its resting position after escorting a barge under the Middle Bridge to one of the industrial tenants on the river…and the Sheraton, brick buildings and the Martingale Wharf just looked awesome in the orange glow.

Don’t worry – I got some great HDR shots that will be featured here later in the week….all in all, well worth the trip across the river…I just wish it was a bit warmer outside.

April 13, 2010

Reflections of Bow Street

A unique take on Bow Street in the reflection of the glass of the NJM Gallery windows.  The glass inside is so colorful it always makes for an interesting photo, especially in this shot with the setting sun shining on the steel of the Martingale Wharf structure and on the Saint John’s church tower.  I particularly liked the lights on the ceiling inside and how it makes the top part of the frame in the sky more interesting.

April 5, 2010

Test Run at Poco’s New Deck & Construction in the City

It was a beautiful weekend in Portsmouth this weekend, and if you were traveling in/around downtown you know that there were enough people around to prove it.  Poco’s had a soft opening for a portion of its new 2-story outdoor deck, and when I walked by on Saturday it was completely mobbed and looked like it had a decent wait too.  The River House was jam packed with a wait line too – it was great to feel the return of more energy outside…all of the streets were full of people shopping, drinking coffee, chatting, and enjoying the day.

The Decks are officially slated to open for the season on Thursday, April 8th!  Keep your fingers crossed for good weather.

As promised – here’s a glimpse of where a few construction projects in the city stand today: 1) The former Portsmouth Herald Building is now available for lease, and from the looks of it already has a tenant (Prudential Verani Realty); 2) The Former Pier II Restaurant continues its transformation into residential condos that will feature a green rooftop garden (market sign went up this week); 3) The Martingale Wharf Building is gone, but in its place the developers have made progress on rebuilding the waterfront pier component, and I hear that a restaurant is planned to open on the site in the fall.