The Portland City Council recently passed an order that will soon require vacant commercial storefronts in the Pedestrian Activities District (PAD) that have been empty for six months or more to register their vacant property within 30 days of their property becoming vacant according to a press release issued earlier this week.
A storefront is considered vacant if it has not been used or occupied for 180 days, starting from the date that the ordinance took effect (October 3, 2025). If your storefront has been vacant for 180 days as of April 1, 2026, you will have until May 1, 2026 to register. The first day of potential violations will be May 2, 2026. Property owners can register their vacant storefront here. By tracking vacancies and building relationships with property owners, the City can connect artists, entrepreneurs and cultural groups with available commercial space and support as needed.
Owners of vacant properties in the PAD are encouraged to take advantage of a new Temporary Use Permit. The City now allows pop-ups for up to 180 days at the discretion of the City Building Official and Fire Marshall. Temporary uses will only be allowed when it is determined that the space is safe for occupancy and for the specific use proposed. For more information about the Temporary Use Permit, please contact the Permitting Director at permitting@portlandmaine.gov or 207 – 874-8703.
Some have suggested that the reason for the empty store fronts is due to the unruly homeless population in the area. Others have indicated that the undeniable sluggish ecoomy has caused a slowdown. And still a third theory for so many empty storefronts is the excessively high rents for those rental properties; that is forcing small businesses to leave Portland. If apartment rents in Portland are too excessive for many to afford, why would commercial rentals be any different?
The City is currently accepting submissions for art to be reproduced in windows. A juiried art selection will be available for property owners to select from in the coming months. Artists will receive a $300. stipend for each work that is selected by a property owner. We expect to begin installation in Summer of 2026. The city press release does not say who is paying the artists a stipend of $300. each. You?? The city does not say who will jury the artists. You?? Are property owners required to have art shows in their buildings? Important details are not included.
The penalty for failing to followi the Order goes like this: “If the owner of the vacant storefront allows the city to install reproduced art in their window at no cost to them, there is no fee/penalty. Otherwise, IT WOULD BE $100/DAY.”
“Whose ‘big beautiful’ idea is this?” wonders this proud Left Wing Lunatic. “Some arts organization promoting art desperately in need of exhibit space?”