FEBRUARY 2022.VOL. 22, NO. 02. PORTLAND, MAINE.
Polar Bear in Bramhall Square By Tony Zeli
After years of community-driven efforts, Bramhall Square Redesign takes another step towards becoming reality. Portland Public Art Committee approves Chris Miller’s ‘Keeper of the Picnic’ design. It’s been thousands of years since polar bears roamed Maine. But now, with approval from Portland’s public art committee, a polar bear will make its return. The art installation, “Keeper of the Picnic” will be a part of a redesigned Bramhall Square. It marks another step in a long effort by community members to draw attention to a small and difficult to use urban open space.
Historic Square Draws Community Interest The historic Bramhall Square is located at the intersection of Bramhall Street, Congress Street, Deering Avenue, and Cumberland Avenue. It marks the boundary of two of Portland’s most densely packed neighborhoods, Parkside and the West End. And it has the infamy of being the site of the first federal execution in 1790. Navigating the busy intersection and the park’s steeply sloping brick sidewalks can be difficult, especially in winter. The steep sidewalks even offer a challenge to city plows. There is no adjacent parking and there is City crew struggle to no shelter for a busy clear Bramhall Square bus stop. in March 2017. -WEN file photo As such, a community effort for the redesign of Bramhall Square began. A neighborhood design charrette kicked things off in 2015. Liz Trice, owner and manager of PelotonLabs,
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The Time to Install Solar Power in Portland is Now By Matt Power A detailed look at one West End resident’s experience installing panels and generating solar energy. Read the Climate Justice Feature on Page 5. -Photo by Matt Power
-Courtesy of Chris Miller
But a major design element was yet to be decided. Until last December, when a coworking space located at Bramhall the public art committee selected Chris Square (where I am a member), organized Miller’s polar bear design. the design charette. A few dozen neighbors and stakeholders gathered to discuss Polar Bear in the Park the future of Bramhall Square. Miller’s winning proposal, “Keeper of Attendees discussed the problems, the Picnic,” features a large reclining bear which seemed numerous, but also took made out of five individual concrete piecturns sharing ideas for improvement: bet- es – head, two front paws, and two back ter lighting, public art, more outdoor seat- paws. Miller designed the polar bear to fit ing, and new plantings. Some of the bigger within the proposed landscaped areas of ideas included a treehouse lookout, bread the redesigned park. That plug and play oven, or a large glass barrier to block design quirk, plus being fun for kids and street noise. families, was part of what sold the selecThen in 2017, Trice hosted a design tion committee on Miller’s work. competition and key elements of the reMiller, who lives in South Portland, is design began to take shape. In 2019, Maine excited to be a part of the transformation Medical Center offered $100,000 to re- of Bramhall Square. “The landscape design build the square, matched by $150,000 that Braden Drypolcher did for Mitchell from the City. In 2020, the City chose and Associates is incredibly well-crafted Mitchell & Associates as the landscape ar- to make the most of a relatively small and chitecture firm to complete the redesign. somewhat challenging space, and I’m esAnd in 2021, the Portland Historic Pres- pecially proud of how tightly my proposal ervation Board approved the schematic integrates with that whole,” Miller said. design. Key design elements include a bus “When all is said and done the new shelter, better lighting, more seating, bike Bramhall Square is going to be a gem,” he racks, and plantings.
-Courtesy of Chris Miller
said. “It will be a much more entertaining place to bring kids, especially one might imagine for their first visit. I look forward to seeing that whole vision realized and am happy to live nearby so my family and I will be able to enjoy it too.”
Revitalizing Portland’s Urban Spaces Miller is also excited to be a part of a larger community effort to revitalize an underutilized public space, an effort that he hopes will inspire others. See BRAMHALL REDESIGN on Pg. 3
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