Congress Square Park
Congress square park, with The Westin Portland Harborview, formerly known as The Eastland, in the background.
Map
TypePark
LocationPortland, Maine, United States
Coordinates43°39′16″N 70°15′48″W / 43.6544°N 70.2633°W / 43.6544; -70.2633
Operated byCity of Portland, Maine
Open1982
DesignationPark

Congress Square Park is a small public park in the Arts District of Portland, Maine. The park includes a stage for performances and areas for sitting.[1] It is also home to a large, historic clock which had previously been located at Union Station.[2]

History

The park was built in 1982 with an urban development grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.[3][4] Starting in 2012, the city, led by Mayor Michael F. Brennan and City Manager Jon Jennings, sought to sell the park to a private equity firm Rockbridge Capital, which was renovating the adjacent hotel. Rockbridge sought to build a single story event center over most of the park. However, residents (led by the Friends of Congress Square Park) drafted an ordinance which sought to prevent the sale until a vote could occur. After collecting a sufficient number of signatures, the sale was postponed until after a June 2014 referendum.[5] In that election, voters endorsed their initiative, which prevented the sale of the public and added protections to the further sale of public spaces.[6]

Since 2013, the Friends of Congress Square Park has organized events, raised funds on behalf of, and maintained the park.[7] In 2018, the city received a $33,000 grant for a public art project in the park.[8]

References

  1. ^ "Congress Square". Greater Portland Landmarks.
  2. ^ "Union Station Clock". Greater Portland Landmarks.
  3. ^ "From the archives: Portland from the past". Press Herald. 2015-11-15. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  4. ^ Flaccavento, Anthony (2016). Building a Healthy Economy from the Bottom Up: Harnessing Real-World Experience for Transformative Change. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813167350. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  5. ^ Koenig, Seth (May 6, 2014). "High court allows Congress Square Park referendum to advance for June vote". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  6. ^ "The Story of Congress Square Park: How A Derelict Plaza Got a New Identity Downtown". Project for Public Spaces.
  7. ^ Zeli, Anthony (4 June 2015). "Congress Square Park: Derelict Space to Summer Hot Spot". The West End News. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  8. ^ Billings, Randy (9 February 2018). "Portland receives grant for art in Congress Square Park". Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. Retrieved 9 November 2019.

External links

Media related to Congress Square Park at Wikimedia Commons

The City of Portland, Maine
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