The Portland Museum of Art is significantly expanding its downtown footprint through a major real estate acquisition that will transform the city's arts district. The museum has announced plans to acquire four downtown properties on Free Street from MaineHealth, which is consolidating its administrative office space over the next two years. The deal also includes a surface parking lot that museum officials believe will create new opportunities for both the institution and the broader Portland arts community.
Museum Director Mark Bessire emphasized the benefits the additional parking will bring to the entire downtown arts district. "We do think there's no doubt that having the parking open in this area, street parking, will help all the local businesses, the State Theatre to the Flat Iron," he explained. Bessire projected that the convenient adjacent parking could boost museum attendance by 5 to 10 percent, making visits more accessible for patrons.
The strategic acquisition will allow the museum to reorganize its operations more efficiently. According to Bessire, the Portland Museum of Art eventually plans to relocate its administrative staff to one of the newly acquired MaineHealth properties. This move will free up space in the McClellan House on High Street, which can then be converted into additional public visitor areas, expanding the museum's capacity to serve the community.
This latest property acquisition builds upon the museum's ambitious expansion plans, which include constructing a new museum wing at the site of the former Children's Museum. The building at 142 Free Street has already been demolished following a contentious debate about its historical significance that ultimately required court resolution earlier this year. The demolition cleared the way for the museum's vision of a unified campus.
Marcie Griswold, who heads audience engagement and communications for the Portland Museum of Art, stressed that the expansion serves a greater purpose beyond simply increasing the museum's size. "It'll be a real opportunity to unify the museum's campus, but also center and anchor the arts district," she stated. Griswold explained that the new building will feature "a light-filled public commons on Free Street" and will "really be a nice opportunity to open up Congress Square," creating a more welcoming and accessible environment for visitors and the community.
While the museum has made significant progress toward funding the ambitious project, Director Bessire acknowledged that no firm timeline has been established for completion. The institution is approximately two-thirds of the way toward reaching its $100 million fundraising goal, indicating substantial community and donor support for the expansion plans.
In the interim, the Portland Museum of Art has developed plans to enhance the visitor experience while fundraising continues. The museum intends to construct a pavilion adjacent to the existing building that will serve as temporary park space during the construction phase. Bessire expressed optimism that this pavilion and accompanying park area will be open to the public by next summer, providing immediate benefits to visitors and the community while the larger expansion project moves forward.
