Former MBNA waterfront complex sold (this could be important)

[Maine-ah]

this is very interesting, check out the backgrounds of all the partners in this, and read the whole article. Certainly one of those things that 'make you go hmmm'....

http://knox.villagesoup.com/Government/story.cfm?storyID=89738



Matthew R. Simmons is founder of Simmons & Company International in Houston, Texas, the only independent investment bank specializing in the entire spectrum of the energy industry. Jay I. Kislak has worked in a real estate brokerage and mortgage banking business founded by his father in 1906, according to a website, and is a well-known collector of rare maps and books. Smith is a businessman and developer, who owns Maine Sport in Rockport and co-owns the Breakwater Marketplace in Rockland, among other businesses and properties.

(snip)

Simmons pointed to a Government Accountability Office report issued Thursday on peak oil and the warning it contains. The report stresses the importance of finding strategies to attain cost-effective measures to mitigate the potential consequences of a peak.

"Congressmen Roscoe Bartlett, R-Maryland, and Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, are both ardent Americans who share my belief that peak oil is happening now," Simmons wrote.

"Both are also very enthusiastic about my Ocean Energy ideas and I suspect in a few months, I will have both to Midcoast Maine speaking about peak oil," Simmons wrote. "Today was a big day for peak oil and hopefully the Ocean Energy beginning of how the world uses our oceans for energy and for Rockland and the investors in this real estate project."

(snip)

[Shorebound]

1. Simmons

swings a lot of weight nationally and internationally in the debate over Peak Oil. His book, "Twilight in the Desert," is a must read for anyone who wants to understand how vital Saudi Arabia and the Ghawar oil field are to future energy supplies. There has been a series of posts by Stuart Staniford over the theoildrum.com in the past two weeks that back up Simmons with new data showing that Saudi Arabian oil production has begun to decline. The GAO report Simmons references was released yesterday and is another step toward pushing Peak Oil higher in the public eye.

The one point that hasn't been clarified is what sort of "ocean energy" is he talking about. Wave power, tidal power, offshore wind turbines on floating platforms? I hope the reality lives up to the hype.

[high density]

2. Pine Tree Zone...

Stuart Smith is quite the whore for Pine Tree Zones it seems... First the "Breakwater Marketplace," now this sprawling building? I'm glad to see the building will be put to good use, but these freaking tax breaks for rich businessmen really piss me off.

[luckyleftyme2]

3. check out the tax shift

check out the tax shift from business to the public in the past 20 years. many who post in here are unaware or do not realize how this effects the working man.

[Maine-ah]

4. .

"many who post in here are unaware or do not realize how this effects the working man."

yea, man, 'cause we're all a bunch of ig'nant republicans, so we have no clue what is going on in our own state.


If these folks are looking for alternative energy, something other than fossil fuels, I have no problem with giving them the tax break. My curiosity resides with what they plan on doing there, if their projects will harm our already disturbed enviornment at the Rockland waterfront. It's my town, and that's what I'm worried about.

[Shorebound]

5. Maine-ah

The news stories I've seen and the personal comments I've heard indicate they plan to use only a small part of the building, initially at least, for the ocean power project, and lease out the rest to other businesses. As the power side grows, they'll expand into the leased space.

I agree that the tax break is worthwhile if it's for alternative energy development. We're going to need all the new energy sources we can find in a few years -- or maybe a few weeks if the Chimp does something stupid in Iran. (What am I saying? "If"?)

[Maine-ah]

6. oh, I knew that they were only going to use a small part of the

building. The place is enormous. My Mom worked there for MBNA, so I have seen the whole inside. What I haven't heard, is more specifically what they're doing, other than "ocean energy". If I had more time to watch the news, I'd probably hear more of it. As it is, almost all of my info comes from the local papers (on line)and other news sources on line. Is this just a research facility? Will they be doing any projects in our harbor or in our waters? And if so, what are the effects to our enviornment going to be? Those are more of the things that I'm interested in finding out.

I'm also looking forward to the possible shops, and the large restaurant as well. If you have never been down that way, you should check it out, the boardwalk is beautiful. I really have to give kudos to MBNA on this one, they cleaned up that end of town. Yeah, the taxes went up, but, that end of town was pretty bad. Good trade IMHO.

[jpak]

7. If they're wave or wind energy projects - they will be located offshore

and the lobster/fisher/men will fume mightily...

The only shoreline "impact" would be where the transmission lines come ashore (and they have a rather small footprint).

This has really piqued me interest...

[luckyleftyme2]

8. naw

I'm sure that as important as shorebounds input is,they will step aside!
heh heh