Preservation

City of Portland Historic Preservation Ordinance
GPL was instrumental in the 1990 passage of a comprehensive historic preservation ordinance for the City of Portland, providing protection for 57 individual landmarks and 8 historic districts. In 1997, the City combined several districts into one larger district for a total of 7 local historic districts and a net increase of about 300 properties protected by the ordinance and 18 additional individual local landmarks. In 2004, the City Council amended the historic preservation ordinance to become a Certified Local Government (CLG) to be eligible for state grants for historic preservation initiatives.

Congress Street Historic District
In 2008, the City began review of a proposed Congress Street historic district from Bramhall Street to Franklin Arterial. Congress Street’s eclectic historic fabric, representing more than 200 years as Portland’s main street, lacks protection, with the exception of several designated landmarks such as the J. B. Brown Block (1883-84) and City Hall (1911). The City held two community meetings, followed by two focus group sessions with interested parties, including GPL, to obtain feedback on the proposed plan. Interesting questions included: how to address modern buildings, such as the Portland Public Library and the former Portland Public Market, and the relationship of proposed district boundaries with existing zoning and height overlays. The district will facilitate access to historic preservation tax credits. In the fall of 2008, the proposed district began the approval process through the historic preservation board, planning board, and city council. The District was unanimously approved by the Council on March 16, 2009. Dowload the PDFs below, including the District Maps for more information. Read the editorial Congress Street Historic District Deserves Widest Possible Backing and the Press Herald articles Planning Board OKs New Historic District & Council OKs Congress Street Historic District.

Nathan Clifford School
The battle over the future of Portland’s Nathan Clifford School reflected a national initiative to protect the use of historic schools as schools. GPL, Maine Preservation, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation commissioned Barba + Wheelock Architecture + Preservation to review the City’s study of renovation versus replacement of the 1907 building. The alternative study found potential savings of approximately $3 million, which would make renovation cost-comparable to new construction. This new information was not enough to stop the city from approving construction of a new school. In a victory for future school renovation projects, Representative Jon Hinck of Portland introduced successful state legislation to change the energy efficiency requirements for renovation of historic schools to reflect differences in historic construction methods.

Great Diamond Island, Fort McKinley Double Barracks
GPL supports the proposed rehabilitation of the former Double Barracks at Fort McKinley on Great Diamond Island, which is part of an historic district. The building is in an advanced state of deterioration after years of neglect and compromises to the roof structure. Bateman Partners LLC is proposing a high quality restoration of the structure, using federal historic preservation tax credits, to create a “hotel-ominium” project, in which private owners of individual units of the building can lease their units as part of a joint arrangement with the Portland Harbor Hotel. The project architect is David Lloyd. The principal façade, facing the parade ground, will be restored to its original appearance. At the rear, a new addition will provide universal access to upper floors, and additional common space. This project, which will meet high preservation standards, is the last chance to salvage the Double Barracks, one of the larger buildings on the site of the historic fort. The City Council has approved a contract zone to allow the proposed use of the site. The project will return to the Historic Preservation Board and the Planning Board for further review.