Business Membership
With all the things you have to worry about, why should you care about historic preservation? The simple answer: it’s good for business.
Historic preservation is a vital part of what makes Portland such a desirable place to live and work. Historic preservation brings young people, retirees and visitors from around the world to this area. Historic preservation is an investment that helps to:
Energize Downtown as a Great Place to Conduct Business
“I cannot identify a single sustained success story in downtown revitalization…where historic preservation was not a key element in the process.” Donovan Rypkema, Place Economics, Washington, D.C., 2001
“Much of Portland’s charm comes from its artsy and historic downtown rubbing elbows with a grittier but equally historic waterfront.” Portland Press Herald editorial, December 2, 2006
Create Jobs that Broaden our Economic Base
“…In Maine, a million dollars spent in rehabilitating an older building adds three more jobs and $75,000 more in local household incomes than does a million dollars of new construction.” Donovan Rypkema, Place Economics, Washington, D.C., at a lecture in Portland, November 5, 2001
Boost Tourism, a Major Economic Driver in our Community
“Heritage tourists are big business – they spend more and stay longer than other travelers…” Profiting from the Past: The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Georgia, 1999
“The import of Frommer’s designation (Portland is one of Frommer’s top travel destinations for 2007) coming after other national accolades, is not that Portland has suddenly arrived. It’s that the buzz surrounding the city has generated the kind of momentum that money can’t buy.” Portland Press Herald editorial, December 2, 2006
Build Our Distinctive Global “Brand” that Attracts a Quality Workforce
“Maine has—in its vivid small towns and waterfronts, its lakes and fields and rocky coastline—exactly the sort of authenticity and quality of place that can set a place apart. Maine is unforgettable and distinctive, and that matters.” Charting Maine’s Future, Brookings Institution Report, 2006
Business Membership Levels
- Shingle ($100)
- Brick ($250)
- Granite ($500)
- Cornerstone ($1,000)
- Cupola ($2,500)
Greater Portland Landmarks works to enhance the livability and economic vitality of Portland and surrounding communities. Historic preservation is good for business. Join us today!