The Portland City Council on Monday night decided to reclassify 142 Free Street, clearing the way for the art museum to demolish the building to make room for a proposed expansion.
With a 6 to 3 vote, city councilors agreed that the former children's museum is no longer historically significant and should be removed from the Congress Square Historic District.
Preservation advocates had argued that 142 Free Street has historic significance and should be protected. Two Portland governing boards agreed.
But Councilor Kate Sykes said there have been too many renovations to the building over the years.
"I really understand why people are attached to this building, and why so much significance has been placed in it," she said. "But just because a building looks like that, doesn't mean that it's worthy of historic preservation."
Mayor Mark Dion disagreed.
"To me it’s a legal question. It’s not about architecture and whether certain standards were met, and whether or not there exists a path a greater, better, higher use for a parcel or building. Which are legitimate questions but I could not find a place to anchor those questions," Dion said.
There was little other discussion about the status of the building.
Sykes acknowledged that the decision was a difficult one, and said that the months-long debate had torn the city of Portland apart.
The reclassification means that the PMA's $100 million expansion plan will be considered under different standards and that the art museum can demolish the neighboring building if those plans receive final approval.
Preservation advocates have threatened to take legal action over the reclassification. The non-profit Greater Portland Landmarks said it was "deeply disappointed" by the council's decision.
"It was a bad decision made for the wrong reasons and a gross violation of both the letter and spirit of Portland’s historic preservation ordinance," the non-profit said Tuesday in a statement. "We will be meeting with our attorneys this week to determine our best course of action for contesting the council vote. In the meantime, we are concerned that irreparable damage has been done to decades of hard work to preserve and protect Portland’s historic buildings and neighborhoods."
