By Carol McCracken  (Post # 2,245)

A last minute postponement of a preliminary review of the 58 Fore Street proposal for development by CPB2, managed by Jim Brady, came as a surprise to many last night.  Just prior to the afternoon public hearing session of the Historic Preservation Board, Deb Andrews, Director of the office, announced that the review of the proposed historic district designation had been postponed until Wednesday, April 1st.  The reason she gave was that the submitted material  was missing some information necessary for the review.

Deb Andrews, Historic Preservation Board Staff, Announced Delay of Preliminary Review.

The Historic Preservation Board has repeatedly announced its intention to designate the almost 10 acres of waterfront property a historic district. “Greater Portland Landmarks believes that the protections afforded by historic district designation are essential to managing change as plans move forward to redevelop the site,”according to an article  in the spring 2015 issue of “Landmarks Observer.”

“The Preservation Board will review the Sutherland report findings and a new study of structural integrity of the historic buildings to make its recommendation to the planning board and ultimately the city council,” the article continued.

The delay seems ironic since the Historic Preservation Board and members of the preservation community have been eager to get their collective hands on the redevelopment at every public opportunity.