Historic Portland, Maine, Landmark Placed On ‘Disposal’ List By Federal Government

Less than two months into the latest Trump administration in America and there has been a lot of changes many Mainers are grappling to adjust to. One of the focal points over the last month has been the federal government cutting costs and trimming expenses in attempt to balance the federal budget.

Those cuts have affected the national parks service, which will directly impact Acadia National Park. Many federal employees have also seen their jobs eliminated. Now, the Trump administration seems to be targeting real estate across the country that they deem to be 'disposable'.

The U.S. Custom House in Portland, Maine, Listed As 'Disposable'

According to the U.S. General Services website, the Trump administration is identifying buildings across the country that they consider 'non-core' to government operations as may carry costly operational expenses. A list of buildings had been published on March 4 but removed on March 5 and replaced with a 'Coming Soon'.

After that full list is put together and released, the federal government will choose what to do with these 'non-core' buildings. The most likely scenario would be to sell them to the highest bidder. That is likely to include the U.S. Custom House in Portland, Maine.

The U.S. Custom House is An Odd Choice For Elimination

While many of the cuts under the current Trump administration have seem displaced, the U.S. Custom House in Portland doesn't truly seem to fit the criteria for being 'disposable'. It's a historic landmark, listed in the National Register of Historic Places back in 1973.

Beyond being historic, the building is still regularly used. The building is currently leased to several federal agencies that operate offices out of the U.S. Custom House. What that might be mean for those agencies is unclear.