Late last week, Thursday, June 20, Greater Portland Landmarks filed a Complaint against the city of Portland askng the court to vacate a recent Portland City Council order to reclassify the former Chamber of Commerbe building at 142 Free Street which allows it to be demolished by the Portland Museum of Art (PMA),

The appeal filed in Cumberland County Superior Court states that the amended order passed the city council by a 6 – 3 vote on May 20 was legally erroneous, an abuse of discretion, and unsuppoted by evidence.  The Complaint asks that the matter be sent back to the city council with instructions to deny the PMA’s request to declassify 142 Free Street as a “noncontributing” structure within the Congress Street Historic District.

:We gave thought long and hard about taking this action, but the fact is, for 60 years GPL has worked to protect and preserve historic buildings and neigbohood buildings and we are not going to stop now,” said board Vice President Carol De Tine.  ‘We have been encouraged to mount this appeal by supporters and donors and many other community members who were appalled by the recent city council vote and we are confident that we will prevail.”