Old Port Sq.: As we shared in The Column on August 21, Kate and Alison recently met with East Brown Cow to renew our dialogue about the 45 Union Street project. Last week, GPL’s working group met with the project team to ask questions about several aspects of the proposal, gaining clarity on the intended outcomes of both the urban realm and architecture of the tower. On Tuesday, September 2nd, Alison attended a community meeting hosted by the applicant as a requirement of the City’s review process. A brief overview of the project was presented and attendees asked questions, mostly about process, timeline, traffic and parking, and other logistical aspects of the project. Alison shared that GPL is reviewing the proposal in ongoing dialogue with East Brown Cow, paying close attention to impacts to the abutting historic district.
142 Free Street: After nearly 200 years of serving the Portland community as a theatre, church, office, and museum, 142 Free Street is in its final hour.
We join with everyone who feels a deep loss by its destruction and appreciate those who have shared personal memories. There were so many opportunities to reuse this historic building in a way that would capture these connections and provide continuity, and we remain disappointed that an alternative to demolition was not brought to the table.
“A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy.””
This divisive issue unnecessarily pitted the exciting opportunity to expand a major local art institution’s facility against a designated building, which the City of Portland had recently and thoughtfully included in a historic district to protect Congress Street’s history and character. As we unfortunately close the book on this building’s long Portland story, it’s important to remember the lessons we learned, and that this is about far more than one building.
Portland is a historic city whose historic streetscapes and viewsheds draw visitors and new residents from all over the world. Portland is the economic powerhouse of the state, and the revenue generated from tourists and visitors is critical to the city’s stability. Image results for “Portland, Maine” in an online search are nearly all images of our historic buildings, streetscapes, and coastlines. Portland’s art, culture, entertainment, food, sports, and vibes draw from the character of the city itself and bring new life to historic buildings.
The Portland we love today is here because Greater Portland Landmarks and our supporters fought to establish laws to protect the historic places that are so crucial to our future. These effective regulations follow national standards, offer helpful guidance, and have successfully preserved special places in Portland for decades. They allow buildings to be modified, updated, and expanded—all of which were options for 142 Street—and they usually ensure that an unsympathetic owner can’t demolish a historic building.
There’s plenty of room for exciting new architecture that isn’t at the expense of Portland’s sense of place.
Through GPL’s advocacy, leadership, and legal appeal supported by so many of you, we fought to prevent this demolition. We will continue to advocate for our critical and reasonable historic protections and make every effort to ensure this doesn’t happen again. We hope you will be with us. This winter, when you walk past the empty lot where 142 Free Street once stood, remember that so many of the places we love in Portland, the places that hold deep memories, tell our stories, and make Portland authentically Portland, can’t be taken for granted. Let’s learn from this moment and work together to protect Portland’s past to ensure a vibrant future.
