The Armature — Local services in Portland

It has been a 3/4 a year at the Armature.

First the Good: The building is beautiful with all the modern amenities. It has a gym, multiple common areas including an arcade, rooftop deck, pool and spacious exterior courtyard.

Next the Bad: Our move in was delayed due to construction/permitting issues. Though this was not the fault of Port Property, the management company, it was extremely inconvenience as we had to scramble for housing for the month or so delay in move in time. Port Property did give some credits for the time and inconvenience but it was no where near our out of pocket costs for the delay and the process of negotiating those credits was lengthy and contentious at times.

There were some minor issues upon move in like the shower not being sealed, flooring coming up, and fixtures in strange locations. They fixed most promptly except for moving the bathroom fixtures as we were told it was a "design choice" and they would not move the towel rack to a useful position.

Ongoing minor issues, video game in the lounge works rarely. Multiple reasons are given but no long term solution. The pool has been open for a couple months and they can't seem to keep it regulated or clean. Apparently the company that installed it offers no support and it is not designed for a Maine climate.

We were sent an email a few months in that if we wanted to reserve the rooftop lounge or deck it would come at a cost of hundreds of dollars for a half day or day. This was not said or mentioned at all before. Another issue with the rooftop lounge or deck is there is no bathroom so if you want to have an event there your guests have to either go back to your apartment or navigate the building down to the lower floors for the public bathrooms.

There have been multiple thefts from the building from local transients stealing things out of the entryway and breaking into the bike room and stealing multiple bikes. There was no not any notice sent out about the break in so residents all found out randomly when they went to get their bikes. When our food delivery was stolen we were told the cameras did not cover that angle. Through personal contacts we were able to get the supposed non existing camera footage from the camera company. When we showed it to Port Propery instead of admitting fault or incompetence they went after the Camera company and threatened to pull contracts unless the camera tech was fired or the tech paid us directly for the food loss. We dropped the issue because we weren't trying to get anyone fired, we were just trying to get the thief caught.

The most recent was a power bill issue. It is all paid through the Armature. One month our bill doubled. We were told by management that it happened with at least one other apt in the building for that month. The power company told us the wattage was correct so it was a building issue and to have maintenance look at it. We are unsure if they have but it has been four months of back and forth with management and all that has resulted thus far is a seven dollar and change credit on an overcharge of $150.

Lastly, the location. The building is on the edge of one of the most dangerous section of portland. Portland street is a constant flow of transients and drug dealing and using. I am aware that Port Properties can't controll the neighborhood but they could at least have onsite management walk around the building once a day and pick up the trash, beer cans, and needles on the property. I have seen the same trash in the exterior flower beds and walkways for weeks. You need to pay special attention when walking your dog around the property to make sure they do not step on any needles.

In conclusion, though the local management is nice you do not get what you pay for in the Armature. It is one of the most expensive buildings in the city but you get a project management level of not fixing or just...

I lived at The Armature for three months during the summer of 2024. Unfortunately, my experience was impacted by frequent early morning noise from trash trucks—3 to 4 times a week between 4:00 and 5:00 am. My unit was located directly above the bike and trash rooms, and this noise continued even on holidays.

The door to the trash room was broken and stuck open for several days, allowing unrestricted access to the building. This was unsettling, as we could see from our window that homeless individuals were using the area outside the trash room to sleep and do drugs. The nearby homeless population also contributed to a significant amount of trash, used needles, urine, feces, and vomit on the sidewalks outside, which were rarely cleaned.

While the building was dog-friendly, there were no designated pet relief areas, and I constantly worried that my dog might step on a used needle during nighttime walks. Additionally, the AC in the gym was broken for several weeks during the summer.

On a positive note, the amenities were great, and I really enjoyed the variety of restaurants...

Awful experience living here. Mold, Mice, the smell of trash, garage door open for days on end with homeless people surrounding the building. People smoking inside the building and management does nothing despite residents complaining. Absurd prices for awful quality of living. The building manager is nice but not very good at his job, they do not know how to run things which is why I assume the other building manager quit. Would not recommend this place! Overpriced college housing at best. They will also constantly email you about incorrect charges on your account or that they will be entering your unit randomly. They want access to your unit frequently which feels like such a bother and violation of privacy especially if you’re a female who lives alone or someone with animals. People smoking inside the building will cause for the whole building to evacuate and stand outside for 40+ minutes and no follow up about what occurred. Very annoying and hard for disabled people. Once again. Overpriced dorm/ college housing at best. Worst experience...