Portland Hall has long acted as an urban refuge for USM students. Students there have sat behind desks for years watching Portland city-life cruise by their window, but after a long run, the Congress St. residence will be closing.
A letter sent to Portland Hall residents on February 7 informed them that Portland Hall would permanently close its doors after the 2008 summer term.
Interest in the purchase of the aging Portland Hall has been promising. To aid in the selling of the property, USM has hired a consultant to make sure the school receives a fair price for the residence hall.
According the Denise Nelson, the director of residential life at USM, the school “hasn’t been in the position to sell any property in the last couple years.”
So far, “no hurdles have had to be jumped” in trying to get the property on the market, said Nelson. Meetings have taken place bi-weekly and preliminary appraisals have been made.
The decision to sell Portland Hall was made last fall.
The profits made from the sale of the dorm should provide some short-term assistance given the school’s current financial situation.
The dorm, with rooms that feature private bathrooms and resident-controlled thermostats, is costly to maintain, especially considering its age.
Portland Hall, which was once a hotel, is currently the only dorm in Portland. Many international students, as well as students preferring the city over the suburbs, live there.
The building is also home to many students that attend Southern Maine Community College and those from Maine Law. Some Maine College of Art students also have meal plans that utilize the dorm’s cafeteria.
When Portland Hall closes, students will have no options for on-campus housing in Portland.
There are no current plans for building or buying residential after Portland Hall closes. However, students currently living in Portland Hall who wish to live in Gorham next semester will have priority as “displaced students,” according to Nelson’s letter.