A Line in the Sand: The FY26 bill recently approved by the House, and now being considered by the Senate, cuts $158 million from the Historic Preservation Fund, virtually eliminating this crucial source of funding for historic preservation projects across the country. Without this funding, Maine’s historic preservation commission will likely lose three of its five staff members by the end of the summer, stunting preservation work in progress, grinding historic tax credit projects to a halt, and eroding programs and initiatives that depend on these funds. In fact, because the FY25 funds have yet to be released, the Commission has already been forced to cancel grants. It is crucial that we all urge our elected officials to both release the appropriated FY25 funds immediately and to reinstate funding in the current bill. We must draw a line in the sand- our history and historic places are too important to lose. Please act now.
Design Manual: The City of Portland's Historic Preservation Program is in the process of updating their Design Manual, which provides guidance to property owners of designated historic resources. GPL has been providing feedback as sections of the manual are updated and gave public comments at the May 21st HP Board meeting. We commend the HP staff for their dedication to making the information in the manual as accessible and user-friendly as possible with photos, case studies, and graphics.
61 Preble Street: Though the Master Development Plan for the extensive development that includes 61 Preble originally called for this c. 1919 brick building to be retained, a recent amendment now calls for the building to be demolished to make way for a large housing project.
GPL staff gave public comments at a recent workshop explaining a little about the transportation history associated with this building and neighborhood, and noted that the fact that it is not currently designated as a landmark is not necessarily a reflection on its significance but a reflection of the need for more preservation efforts in vernacular and working class neighborhoods- not just in Portland but across the country. As more buildings are demolished, and context and links to local history are lost, it becomes even harder to formally protect remaining historic resources. Staff also noted that reusing existing buildings is one of the strongest climate action tools at our disposal. Unfortunately, the project team does not appear to be motivated to preserve this building but they do currently plan to retain a small masonry structure across the street. This smaller building was built around the same time as an auto salesroom.
Music Hall at 244 Cumberland: The Planning Board held a public workshop on May 27th to discuss the proposed Music Hall next to Merrill Auditorium. This workshop focused on transportation-related issues. The applicant showed some minor changes to the design of the building which is still being presented as a brick and metal warehouse expression. City Council has not yet held a vote on the pending moratorium on new event venues, but the Music Hall project will not advance to a public hearing at the Planning Board until after that vote. GPL has advocated for design improvements to better respond to its context at the gateway to the downtown Arts District and Congress Street Historic District.
Nonprofit Property Tax Exemption Update: GPL joined 180 nonprofits in a sign-on letter organized by Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP). The letter asked the Taxation Committee to reject LD 438 and LD 1795 stating that, "allowing municipalities to increase taxes on nonprofits would not address municipal fiscal challenges, would have negative economic impacts, and could exacerbate a community's service needs." MANP has reported, "This week, the Taxation Committee unanimously voted down LD 1795, and decided to carry over LD 438. As part of this discussion, the committee said they would ask that the topic of nonprofit property tax exemptions be included in the working group created from LD 1770." We will continue to follow this but join MANP is considering this a win and we thank MANP for their leadership on this important issue.
National Nonprofit Advocacy: GPL also joined a national sign-on letter to protect and strengthen nonprofit organizations in the tax package currently before Congress. The letter, organized by the National Council of Nonprofits, calls for the removal of several provisions that would be harmful to nonprofits and philanthropy. Recently passed by the House, the bill will now be considered by the Senate for revisions and will likely return to the House in the coming weeks. We encourage anyone who shares these concerns to contact their elected officials and encourage other nonprofits to join the letter.
