| Congress Square Park | |
| Coords: | 43.6544°N -70.2633°W |
| Type: | Park |
| Location: | Portland, Maine, United States |
| Operator: | City of Portland, Maine |
| Designation: | Park |
| Open: | 1982 |
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]
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]