Preservation Dollars Make Sense: The preservation community's federal-level advocacy efforts have shown some fruits: the FY25 Historic Preservation Funds have finally been released, meaning that our state historic preservation office will continue to operate for the time being. To ensure these funds remain for 2026, contact Senators Collins and King now and urge them to support Historic Preservation Funds (HPF) in the Interior and Environmental Appropriations bill which should be coming from Republicans any time. Meanwhile, here in Maine, two historic tax credit bills passed thanks to the steadfast advocacy efforts of GPL, our partners like Maine Preservation, and supporters who contacted their elected officials: LD 146, which will better facilitate the reuse of larger buildings (often for housing), and LD 1755 which will incentivize housing in rural areas.
America the Beautiful: The National Park Service stewards over 420 park units, protecting and interpreting some of the nation's most beautiful and historic places. Their efforts have been undermined by federal funding cuts, deregulation, and efforts to sell public lands for private use. On July 3, 2025 President Trump issued the "Establishing the President's Make America Beautiful Again Commission." Though the language in this Executive Order seems to support conservation priorities, it opens the door for diluting safeguards, increasing vehicular access into protected areas for commercial exploitation, and a leadership team that aligns with the fossil-fuel industry. We are concerned that protections for historic places could be compromised across the nation, and that this mentally could lead to the elimination of other regulatory and review processes that are critical to protecting historic sites. In the meantime, a bipartisan group of Senators has introduced the America the Beautiful Act (S.1547) which would extend restoration funding for National Parks at $2 billion per year for eight years. This act was introduced by Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Steve Daines (R-MT) with bipartisan cosponsors and, in addition the funding extension, would require further reporting to Congress. Learn more and show your support here.
On June 26, Greater Portland Landmarks held our Annual Meeting to vote on several business items including Board of Trustee leadership, our FY25-26 budget, and our new Strategic Plan. The event was held at the Safford House, our former home, now beautifully and skillfully restored by Woodhull for their offices. Staff, Board, and trusted advisors had the opportunity to tour the building and reconnect with friends and colleagues who helped us form our strategic vision for the next five years.
Franklin Street: As the Reimaging Franklin Street effort advances, Alison attended a Community Design Workshop held at the Portland Public Library to engage with the project team and other community members. GPL provided input about various elements of the corridor, encouraging onsite interpretation of the history of urban renewal and the neighborhood that once occupied these spaces, restoration of Lincoln Park and connections between neighborhoods, as well as urban realm improvements. We will continue to engage as this initiative moves forward.
61 Preble Street: After opposing the demolition of this building we are disappointed that the Planning Board voted unanimously to approve the revisions to the original proposal. While not a designated historic building, 61 Preble, like so many other buildings, is a reusable structure that positively contributes to its streetscape while illustrating the history of the neighborhood. As Portland grows, and our environmental crisis becomes more urgent, we must be intentional about incorporating older buildings into new developments. We hope to leverage this loss for future preservation wins in the neighborhood.
142 Free Street, PMA: On June 24th the museum filed for a demolition permit for 142 Free Street, despite a public commitment to retain the building until the new addition is approved- a process that they have not yet begun. We are continuing our advocacy efforts with City officials and we support the ongoing efforts of Friends of Congress Street Park to prioritize revitalization and programming at this prominent public space. We urge the museum to activate the historic building, or at least secure it, while the fundraising and approvals process progresses over the next several months, or years, and redirect their focus on public space activation to Congress Street Park, their own plaza, and the other open spaces on their campus before creating another empty lot.
Christi Chapman-Mitchell: GPL would like to thank Christi, former Assistant Director at the Maine Historic Preservation Commission for over 20 years of service to historic preservation upon her resignation. We wish her the best!
