Photo / Renee Cordes
Portland Downtown’s relocation offers more space, a more public-facing storefront and amenities to offer to community groups.
Updated: July 28, 2025
Portland Downtown’s move to larger, public-facing space reflects ‘change and challenges’
Photo / Renee Cordes
Cary Tyson, executive director of Portland Downtown, shows a map of the downtown district at the organization’s new digs at 87 Center St.
Portland Downtown’s recent move to a lease at 87 Center St. gives the nonprofit more space, a more public-facing storefront and amenities to offer to community groups.
“Portland Downtown is growing to meet the needs of our city's changing downtown district,” Cary Tyson, the organization’s executive director, told Mainebiz.
In recent years, the city has swelled from 68,000 full-time residents to 2 million visitors and part-time residents in the summer, he said.
“At the same time, we’re in a period of economic change and challenges,” Tyson said. “We must keep pace and take action to maintain a vibrant downtown district that is cleaner, safer and more welcoming for everyone.”
The organization worked with Gillian West at Portland commercial property management and development company J.B. Brown & Sons to find the location. West is Portland Downtown’s board treasurer.
Trash removal
Portland Downtown’s mission is to stimulate a thriving, vibrant and sustainable downtown district in which to live, do business, shop and visit.
It’s funded through a special assessment paid by property owners in the downtown district. The money is invested directly into improvements such as graffiti and trash removal and needle pick-up, among many others.
Many of its community events and programs are made possible with sponsor support.
Portland’s downtown district stretches from Longfellow Square to Franklin Street, with Cumberland Avenue as its northern boundary and the waterfront as its southern boundary.
Public restroom
Portland Downtown’s new location is one-fifth of a mile south of its previous digs at 22 Free St.
It took several months to find a new location.
“It was important to us to find a centrally located space right in the downtown district in which we serve,” said Tyson. “87 Center St. is indeed central to downtown Portland. We need to be in the heart of downtown to make the city cleaner, safer and more welcoming for everyone.”
Photo / Courtesy Portland Downtown
From left, Portland Downtown’s director of administration Byron Bartlett, executive director Cary Tyson and community outreach and engagement manager Betsy Boyd at 87 Center St.
In addition to being centrally located to the district it serves, the organization was looking for more space.
“Our former location was 1,500 square feet; now, we have over 2,400 square feet,” he said. “Criteria also included a more public-facing storefront.”
The group plans to add features.
“We plan to offer our meeting space/conference room for community groups to use during business hours once we're fully up and running,” he said.
Plans are underway at 87 Center St. to construct a public restroom — a much-needed facility for residents and visitors, he noted.
Challenges
Reflecting on downtown safety and cleanliness issues that have been a hot topic lately, Tyson said his organization “is uniquely suited to take on some of the downtown district's current challenges.”
The organization’s initiatives in the works include a downtown ambassador program for trash and graffiti removal as well as needle pick-up.
“We've done our research, and talked with other cities from Bangor to Boston, to see what programs have worked for them,” he said.
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