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April 1, 2025

Judge rules art museum can demolish 142 Free St. for expansion

rendering of big brick building with arches COURTESY / LEVER ARCHITECTURE A rendering shows the proposed new building at 142 Free St., at left in image, where the Portland Museum of Art plans to expand.
By Tina Fischer

The Portland Museum of Art has been given the go-ahead by a judge to tear down the former Children’s Museum & Theater of Maine building at 142 Free St. in order to replace it with a modern, 60,000-square-foot expansion for the art museum.

Greater Portland Landmarks filed a lawsuit last June to save the building, claiming it has historic value, and on March 5 of this year state Superior Court Justice Deborah Cashman heard oral arguments. 

The judge ruled in favor of the PMA, agreeing with a May 2024 vote by the city council to “declassify” the building from its status as “a contributing structure” of the Congress Street Historic District. 

In 2009 the Portland City Council did vote to have it so designated, but the judge ruled the council also has the right to change that designation.

The building has undergone several renovations since it was built in 1830, including one by architect John Calvin Stevens, and over the years had been used as a theater, a church and office space before the Children’s Museum purchased it in 1991 and moved in in 1993. 

File photo / Peter Van Allen
At left is 142 Free St., which would be torn down under an expansion proposal by the Portland Museum of Art, at right.

The PMA has owned 142 Free St. since 2019. It has been vacant since the Children’s Museum moved into a new building at Thomson’s Point in 2021.

Erik Hayward, president of the museum’s board of trustees reacted to the decision in a statement: “The Portland Museum of Art’s campus expansion is an exciting and forward-looking plan that will create much-needed space for our growing collection while inspiring creativity and innovation in Maine. With the Cumberland County Superior Court’s decision affirming the city council’s designation change, we’re ready to move ahead.”

The PMA launched a $100 million campaign for the expansion in 2022 and in 2023 selected a design by LEVER Architecture of Portland, Oregon.

Spokesperson for the city of Portland Jessica Grondin said Monday afternoon that the museum had not yet filed for a demolition permit to begin the expansion project and commented, “We are pleased with the court's thorough and well-written decision, and agree with the result.”

GPL released a statement Monday as well: “With Judge Cashman’s order in hand, our staff, volunteer trustees and advocacy team will meet with legal advisors to thoughtfully consider the best action to move forward based upon the facts presented…. We will continue to be transparent with our next steps and will provide updates as soon as possible.”


 

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