S. Portland officials say hotel proposal closer to being palatable

SOUTH PORTLAND – A New York developer who shocked South Portland with a hotel proposal calling for twin 35-story towers has scaled back his proposal, but it still doesn’t meet zoning regulations.

The revised plan that John Cacoulidis shared this month with city officials includes an estimated 140-slip marina and 15-story luxury hotel on a portion of the 22-acre lot he owns on Portland Harbor.

Although the latest concept still doesn’t meet zoning regulations, city officials say it’s closer to a project that could win public support. Two concerns are the hotel’s height and the traffic.

“I am a lot more optimistic something is going to happen on the property,” City Manager Jeffery Jordan said.

That’s a change from 2001 when residents and city leaders met Cacoulidis’ original proposal with awe and skepticism.

His plan called for twin elliptical-shaped hotel towers with 2,600 rooms. The lower levels would have accommodated a convention center and hospitals for general surgery and plastic surgery. Cacoulidis also envisioned a marina for cruise ships.

The original proposal would have been the largest hotel project in New England and one of the biggest convention centers in the country.

Cacoulidis had limited contact with the city after residents and city leaders dismissed his plan as too big and out of character for the area.