Portland Planning Board Public Hearing on new City Comprehensive Plan

The Draft Land Use Plan identifies target areas in the city for change or evaluation in the next decade. Map Courtesy of the City of Portland Planning Department

The City of Portland will hold another public hearing on Thursday, April 13th at 6PM to take public comment on the draft comprehensive plan. It is expected that the plan, with some possible minor modifications, will be forwarded to the City Council and presented in a council workshop on Monday, April 24th at 5PM.

Greater Portland Landmarks' staff and supporters have participated in public forums, workshops, and hearings  as well as several meetings with city staff during the comprehensive plan's development. Our goal has been to insure that the plan reflects the incalculable contribution Portland's authentic sense of place makes to our city's economic, social, and cultural vitality. 

Learn more about Greater Portland Landmarks comments on the draft Comprehensive Plan here. 

Portland unveils new design for Congress Square Park

On March 16th the City held a public meeting to update the community on the progress of the new Congress Square design. Details on the plan, activities, and materials are available on the city's website. Comments on the plan will be accepted through March 24th. 

St. Joseph's Convent receives additional City funding support

Stevens Avenue, Portland photo by Greater Portland Landmarks

The city's housing committee agreed this month to reallocate federal dollars from a Portland Housing Authority (PHA) housing project to a project that will rehabilitate a former convent on Stevens Avenue. PHA's project on Boyd Street is on hold and the Stevens Avenue project has a funding gap that needs to be closed as rehabilitation work is hoped to begin this spring. 

The plans for the vacant convent building will convert it into housing for people 55 years and up. The project is in part financed with historic and low income tax credits. The value of those credits has diminished, creating a small funding gap in the $17 million dollar project. 

The convent will be one of many historic properties to be restored using the federal historic tax credit program, a program that is currently in danger of being lost even though it creates more money than costs. Please help us build support for retaining this important preservation tool and learn more about our advocacy for retaining and improving the federal historic tax credit.

Revised Design for the Rufus Deering Site

Rendering by Archetype Architects

The design team working on the redevelopment of the Rufus Deering parcel has submitted revised images of their proposed plan for a mixed use development at 383 Commercial Street. The new design responds to many of the comments made by members of the Portland Historic Preservation Board at a workshop in January. The role of the Historic Preservation Board is advisory only to the Planning Board because the project is just outside the boundaries of the Portland Waterfront Historic District. The Historic Preservation Board will hold a second workshop on the project on March 1 at 5:00 PM in Room 209 of City Hall, 389 Congress Street.

Image from the January 2017 Historic Preservation Board Workshop 

Sen. Susan Collins sponsors Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act of 2017

The Press Hotel, Irvin Serrano Photography

Sen. Susan Collins and five other senators  have introduced the Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act of 2017 (S.425). The bill would increase the historic tax credit (HTC) for certain small projects, allow credit transfers for certain small projects, lower the expenditure threshold to qualify for the HTC from 100 percent to 50 percent of the adjusted basis, reduce the depreciable basis adjustment for HTC property, and modify certain tax-exempt property rules. Several members of the House of Representatives introduced a companion bill in their chamber.

For more than three decades, the federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) has successfully implemented a national policy of preserving our historic resources. It is the most significant investment the federal government makes toward the preservation of our historic buildings. Despite a proven track record of stimulating economic growth and preserving our architectural heritage, however, the historic tax credit faces an uncertain future. As pressure builds to reform the nation’s tax code, several influential tax reform proposals recommend a repeal of this essential credit. We appreciate Sen. Collins' sponsorship of this bill and her support for the redevelopment of Maine's historic resources.

Please join us in thanking Sen. Collins by email or with a thank you note or postcard via mail at One Canal Plaza, Suite 802, Portland, ME 04101. 

Thank you Senator Collins for sponsoring the Historic Tax Credit Improvement Act  (S.425) and for your continued support of  a program that has proven to be a cost-effective driver of economic development and job creation while conserving our nation's historic places. 

More information on the Federal Historic Tax Credit is available here.

Greater Portland Landmarks letter to Senator Collins is available here.

Help Shape the Future of Portland

The draft of Portland's Comprehensive Plan is now available and the City is accepting comments for the next 30 days. While Landmarks has largely focused its comments to date on the historic preservation chapter, we encourage you to read the entire draft and provide comment to the city staff at portlandsplan@portlandmaine.gov  

The latest draft plan is based on work that began in 2015 and included a process of extensive public engagement, including attendance at farmers' markets, fairs, middle and high school classes, neighborhood group meetings, and many other events to learn what people in Portland hope for the next 10 years. In all, city staff have attended well over 40 events this year, hearing from hundreds of people, as well as countless others who stopped by at large events.  Landmarks' Advocacy Committee met with city staff last month and members and staff have participated in public workshops and other events throughout the process.

Portland is Equitable, Sustainable, Dynamic, Secure, Authentic, and Connected

Landmarks' believes that Portland's historic character is a critical element in our city's authentic sense of place and therefore is important to conserve and enhance as we chart Portland's future. The conservation of our built environment is also critical to helping move our city forward as a more sustainable place to live and work.  Our historic buildings support businesses large and small and provide a diversity of housing options for Portland's residents. Through support of the City's Historic Preservation program, cultural organizations that promote the City's history, and the many businesses that contribute to Portland's heritage tourism industry, Portland in 2030 can be equitable, sustainable, dynamic, secure, authentic, and connected.