Court ruling means Portland Museum of Art can tear down former Children's Museum
A Superior Court Judge has sided with the city of Portland and the PMA, clearing the way for the museum to expand
A Superior Court Judge has sided with the city of Portland and the PMA, clearing the way for the museum to expand
A superior court judge has ruled in favor of the city of Portland and the Portland Museum of Art when it comes to the future of the former Children's Museum of Maine at 142 Free St.
Greater Portland Landmarks sued last year, hoping to protect and preserve the property after the Portland City Council approved a controversial plan in May 2024 to remove a historic classification from the building, clearing the way for the Portland Museum of Art, which now owns the property, to tear it down.
“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,” Erik Hayward, president of the Museum's board of trustees, said. “With the Cumberland County Superior Court’s decision affirming the City Council’s designation change, we’re ready to move ahead.”
The Museum plans to demolish the building to make way for a $100 million expansion. They say the change will energize businesses in the area while allowing "the PMA to fully serve the diverse range of visitors, artists and educators who make up the community, while supporting a vibrant, walkable neighborhood."
The lawsuit, filed in June 2024 in Cumberland County Superior Court, asked the court to vacate that order, calling it "legally erroneous, an abuse of discretion, and unsupported by evidence."
The building at 142 Free St. was a theater from 1830 until 1835, a church from 1835 until 1926 and the Children's Museum of Maine from 1991 until 2019.
In the ruling handed down on March 26, 2025, the court said, "The comprehensive plan here - the ReCode - identifies several goals of historic preservations. Redesigning 142 Free Street in accordance with the Integrity Standard is certainly consistent with at least some of these goals. Moreover, the legislature explicitly contemplated the possibility of changing a building's designation by providing a specific mechanism and procedure to do so in the ReCode. Amending prior decisions is a long established legislative practice, and is not, but itself, irrational. Thus, the court denies GPL's appeal as pleaded."
"We're pleased with the Court's thorough and well-written decision and agree with the result," said Jessica Grondin, spokesperson for the city of Portland.