Updates on our recent advocacy efforts:

142 Free Street: We have not yet heard from the judge after oral arguments earlier this month, so we continue to wait for her ruling and plan for all outcomes. We remain optimistic that a solution can be found that balances growth of the Portland Museum of Art and protection of the city's historic preservation ordinance and resources.

Custom House Tours: Last Sunday (March 16th) GPL hosted an open house at the historic Custom House! About 340 visitors explored the incredible interior spaces and original details that illustrate the history of the building and of Portland. Docents were on site to answer questions. GPL will continue to monitor the U.S. General Services Administration website for updates on the potential disposal of the building and will advocate for its preservation and interpretation. For more coverage of this fantastic event, see the News Center Maine coverage!

Cultural Advocacy Day: Kate and Alison attended Cultural Advocacy Day at the Maine State House, hosted by the Cultural Alliance of Maine, to network with other advocates, learn more about relevant legislation, and build connections with local leaders. Did you know that Maine is #2 in the country for participation in art and craftsmanship, and for number of museums per capita? Or that 3.6 million square feet of residential and commercial spaces have been preserved and 1,300 affordable housing units were created with the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit from 2009-2019? Culture is critical to the Maine way of life! We were happy to hear Senator Rick Bennett (R-Oxford) talk about the benefits of adaptive reuse in revitalizing a former shoe factory in Norway, ME among other examples.

Grant Opportunity: The Maine Historic Preservation Commission will be administering a new grant for the restoration of qualifying historic community buildings. The Historic Community Buildings Bond Grant Program makes $10m available over three grant rounds and is open to nonprofits and government entities. Stay tuned for application dates, and find more information about the program here.

244 Cumberland Meeting: GPL met virtually with a project team representative for the proposed Music Hall at 244 Cumberland Avenue in Portland to better understand their proposed project and offer recommendations for improving the design as it relates to the historic City Hall across the street and engages with the streetscape and public way. GPL asked questions about how this new venue might impact nearby performance spaces in historic buildings. We strongly support the continued success of Portland’s performing arts and other cultural institutions in historic buildings and advocated for this priority in the meeting.

What we’re thinking about:

As we wrap up our strategic planning process, we are thinking about how GPL can best serve our communities. Over our 60 years, we have offered a number of different programs, educational opportunities, and networking events. We are critically reviewing these programs and coming up with new ideas for how we can advance our mission. Let us know if there's a preservation need that you think GPL can meet, or a past program you would love to see us continue. Email Alison at afrazee@portlandlandmarks.org with your thoughts and ideas.