In 2014, Congress Street was named one of America’s top 10 great streets by the American Planning Association. This is a well-deserved honor and a tribute to the hard work of leading institutions and businesses in the Arts District to make Congress Square both a premier hub for cultural activity and a tourist attraction.
Therefore, it is especially concerning that in light of this award, the façade of the Schwartz Building at 602 Congress St. (at the corner of Congress and High streets) has been in a state of decrepitude for the last five years.
The Portland Museum of Art and its neighbors are concerned that the state of the Schwartz Building reflects poorly on our beautiful city and our growing reputation, creating an unwelcoming presence in Congress Square that is having a lasting negative impact on the area and businesses in its vicinity.
The current state of the Schwartz Building is not the impression that we want to give tourists, businesses and possible investors of downtown Portland. Making matters worse, the property owner has received funds for façade improvements and there appears to be limited accountability for the lack of action.
During the last year, we have spoken with departments of the city and have actively lobbied City Council members to consider taking this matter under advisement, and no one has taken a leadership role to solve this issue. In addition, we have reached out to the property owner and received no response. We hope that the city of Portland will take a serious look at this issue and the consequences of inaction. The Arts District deserves to be aesthetically pleasing, welcoming, safe and vibrant for visitors and vital businesses in this area, as well as for the city of Portland’s reputation.
Mark H.C. Bessire
director of the Portland Museum of Art
Andrew Abbott
allabbott.com
Michelle Corry
Five Fifty-Five and Petite Jacqueline
Richard E. Curran Jr.
president, Spinnaker Trust
Barry Hoffman
Hoffman Properties
Jennifer Hutchins
Creative Portland
David LaCasse
Friends of Congress Square Park
Karen C. Lowell
chief operating officer, Spinnaker Trust
Bob Ludwig
Gateway Mastering Studios, Inc.
Harold Pachios
Preti Flaherty
Dianna Rust
artist
Ryan Shimala
More & Co.
Don Tuski
Maine College of Art
Walter Ungerer
filmmaker
Bruce Wennerstrom
The Westin Portland Harborview hotel
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