A Conversation on ReCode Portland with Michael Barton of Reveler and Jason Howe of Preti Flaherty

May, 2025

MEREDA Podcast

Michael Barton, Managing Director of Real Estate Development at Reveler, and Jason Howe, Partner and chair of the Real Estate and Finance Practice Group at Preti Flaherty, sit down with MEREDA President Shannon Richards for MEREDA Matters – the podcast that lets you listen in on conversations with the people driving responsible development in Maine.

“[The ReCode document] is tighter. I think there’s some benefit to that because there is more certainty. I think it is more of a true interpretation of the ordinance now.”

– Michael Barton of Reveler



In this episode, Barton and Howe share their insights on Portland’s ReCode. State Law requires that municipalities review and update their zoning on a regular basis and the goal of ReCode was to create a unified development code to serve the future of Portland. The group discusses what changes and opportunities resulted from this process. Describing how the ordinance went from 800 pages to about 300 pages, Barton and Howe talk about how the finished product is a functional roadmap that is much more streamlined.

The group goes on to discuss their big takeaways from the new code, including the elimination of the single family zone, opportunities to develop off peninsula to take advantage of existing infrastructure such as transportation lines, and the increased building height limits.

The conversation then turns to the housing crisis and how ReCode could help encourage more development. Listen to the episode to learn more!