Regarding the Portland Museum of Art and its expansion: if all the recent clamor is about losing another historic building to make way for new architecture, why not save the old building by moving it? PMA already owns land on Free Street (parking lot and green space) where the YWCA once stood (demolished in 2006). The old Chamber of Commerce/Children’s Museum building could by moved via a flatbed (think “Gothic House” 1971, to make way for Holiday Inn) or dismantled and reassembled; that’s still done, isn’t it?

In this scenario, PMA will likely lose some vehicle parking, so construction of the new Chamber of Commerce/Children’s Museum foundation could include underground parking. The new location, Oak Street side, would bookend the PMA Spring Street property. There could be huge columned buildings at each end: Clapp House and the Chamber of Commerce/Children’s Museum.

The added costs would be assumed by PMA, but surely any price is worth appeasing all residents of Portland, which this idea would do.

The “new” structure could be used for many purposes: by PMA, Maine College of Art, office or artists space. It could be used as a homeless shelter. It could even be used as a sort of hotel where girls could rent a low-cost rooms by the month, just as the former YWCA once did when it stood on that very soil. Heck, they could even add an indoor swimming pool!

There’s got to be a way to save this structure and give PMA their vision to expand.

Ted Musgrave
Portland

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