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Demolition set to make way for Portland Museum of Art expansion

trucks and cranes surround a building PHOTO / TINA FISCHER Demolition equipment is in place at 142 Free St. in Portland.
By Tina Fischer

Demolition crews have started to remove the building at 142 Free St., to make way for the Portland Museum of Art’s $100 million expansion project.

Construction of a new 60,000-square-foot wing for the PMA is not on the near horizon, as fundraising is still ongoing, but in the interim the museum plans to build a placeholder open-air art park.

Marcie Parker Griswold, head of communications and audience engagement at the museum, told Mainebiz the site will become a temporary hub for art, performances and community gatherings.

“Visitors may explore rotating installations, open-air studios, and art workshops that hint at the light-filled public commons to come," she said. 

Pending approvals from the city of Portland, Griswold said the museum hopes to have the interim site open by summer 2026. 

“We’re working closely with the city to create a flexible space that’s different from a park open all the time — it’s a way to preview what’s ahead," Griswold said. 

Jack Soley, a museum trustee, described the planned installation as, “a smart, strategic investment in Portland’s future.” 

Board president Erik Hayward added, “We’re sustaining momentum, attracting foot traffic, and supporting nearby businesses.”

Griswold said the cost of the project, “is something we're still working on and we’ll have a better handle on total project costs once we know the scope from the city.”

The timing of the demolition — coming as it is in advance of the museum raising the full capital campaign amount — sparked objections from Greater Portland Landmarks, which has opposed the razing of 142 Free St.

Kate Lemos McHale, the nonprofit’s executive director, in June asked the PMA to rethink moving forward until full fundraising and final plans for the new wing were in place.

McHale cited a number of unknowns still in play, including whether the new building will be approved as designed, whether the Historic Preservation Board's review process will alter the museum’s plans and whether the PMA will raise the necessary funds. 

The museum has owned the circa 1830 brick building at 142 Free St. since 2019. It’s been vacant since 2021 when the Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine relocated to a new building at Thompson’s Point. 

LEVER Architecture, based in Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., and Portland, Maine-based Simons Architects are leading the expansion project of the new wing. Consigli Construction’s Portland office will manage the build. 


 

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