Portland council designates five Forest Avenue buildings as historic landmarks
Courtesy / Greater Portland Landmarks
Woodford Food & Beverage, formerly Valle's Steak House and a rare example of mid-century modern architecture in Portland, has been designated a historic landmark by the Portland City Council.
Five of the 17 Forest Avenue area buildings proposed for historic landmark designation made the cut at Monday's Portland City Council meeting.
All of the buildings approved for designation are in the Woodford's Corner area. Several buildings near the University of Southern Maine will not be designated historic landmarks.
New landmark structures are the Odd Fellows building at 643-651 Forest Ave., which is at the intersection with Woodford Street and a familiar landmark, with a flatiron shape and clock tower. Built in 1897, it's the oldest in the group to be designated.
Also getting landmark status were the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Store, 617 Forest Ave.; the former Darling-Kidder Motor Co., 630 Forest Ave.; the Chapman Block, 648 Forest Ave.; and the former Valle’s Steak House, now Woodford Food & Beverage, at 660 Forest Ave. The building at 660 Forest Ave. is the newest of the 17 proposed buildings, constructed in 1964.
The landmark designation won't restrict most development, but does require review by the city's historic preservation board before changes can be made, officials have said. Restrictions mostly apply to facades; changes to areas that don't face a street or newer parts of the buildings not considered historic are allowed.
The council first considered the designations in September, but tabled the proposal so members could consider it in more detail. Since the designations were first suggested earlier this year, many of the property owners said they didn't want their buildings to be landmarks.
The preservation board in July had unanimously approved all 17 buildings for landmark status.
Property owners told both the board and the City Council that they felt the designation would restrict development and make the buildings hard to sell. Many owners argued that the buildings aren't historic.
But others advocated for the benefits of historic preservation, saying it spurs economic development and creates jobs. Among those speaking in favor were representatives for Friends of Woodfords Corner and Greater Portland Landmarks.
Many of the buildings that weren't designated Monday represent the emerging auto industry of the early 20th century. They met the minimum requirements for landmark designation under the city's land use code, the preservation board determined.
Some of the buildings also have architectural significance, including one that was designated — 660 Forest Ave., home to Woodford Food & Beverage, is mid-century modern, which is rare in Portland, according to the preservation board.
The landmark designation was first proposed by the planning department, and prompted by the significance of the area as one of the city's earliest and most important transportation corridors. Several of the 17 buildings are eligible for placement on the National Register of Historical Places, and surveys by the Maine Historic Preservation Committee in 2011, and Portland Landmarks, in 2015, highlighted the buildings' importance.
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