The University of New England is repurposing an historic church on the Portland campus, to become home to the college bookstore and a grab-and-go food court.
The University of New England is renovating an historic former church on the Portland campus to become the new home of the college bookstore, meeting spaces and a grab-and-go food court.
The building, at 710 Stevens Ave., most recently served the college as the Ludcke Auditorium — officially the Eleanor DeWolfe Ludcke ’26 Auditorium — though it’s been repurposed several times over its long lifetime.
The circa-1867 building was originally part of the Westbrook Seminary campus. It once housed the campus library and was also used for a multipurpose event and classroom space.
The former church that's most recently been home to the Eleanor DeWolfe Ludcke '26 Auditorium on the University of New England's Portland campus, is being repurposed once again. PHOTO / TINA FISCHER
Now with the student population at UNE’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences having increased by 33% with the relocation earlier this year of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, more student gathering space is needed, according to Alan Bennett, the college’s assistant director of communications.
Before the building is ready to host its latest congregation, exterior work is needed along with interior renovations. Windows need to be replaced and some wooden rot is being addressed. Scarborough-based Allied Cook Construction is managing the work.
The church’s redesign is by Portland’s Port City Architecture, which has been responsible for the design of most of the historic renovations at UNE.
The project has an overall budget of $6 million and is expected to be completed by early October.
