Commercial Street is a street downtown

Portland, Maine Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...

. In 2008, it was named one of the ten best streets in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

by the

American Planning Association The American Planning Association (APA) is a professional organization representing the field of urban planning in the United States. APA was formed in 1978, when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Pla ...

.Commercial Street Portland, Maine
American Planning Association It was built upon old piers in the 1850s. Fill was pushed into

Casco Bay Casco Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine on the southern coast of Maine, New England, United States. Its easternmost approach is Cape Small and its westernmost approach is Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth. The city of Portland sits along its south ...

to accommodate the growing railroad and warehousing needs of the port's working waterfront. In the 1970s and 1980s, much of the economic activity on the street was hurt and many of the properties on the street were sold off for non-marine development, including the building of

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...

s. In 1987, Portland voters, led by local fisherman based on Commercial Street, halted all non-marine development along the street and adjacent docks. Marine development around Commercial Street returned in the 1990s and 2000s (decade) alongside other economic development, including tourism-related industries. The

Maine State Pier The Maine State Pier is a municipal-owned deepwater marine facility and music venue located at the intersection of Commercial Street and Franklin Street on the eastern waterfront in Portland, Maine. It was completed in 1924. In the mid-2000s, co ...

, a deepwater marine facility and outdoor music venue, is located at the intersection of Commercial Street and Franklin Street.

Widgery Wharf Widgery Wharf (also Widgery's Wharf) is a historic wharf in Portland, Maine. Built in the late 1700s, across Commercial Street from the now-demolished Plum Street, the wharf is named for the Widgery family which controlled the local molasses trade ...

and Union Wharf, located on the eastern end of Commercial Street, are two of the oldest standing structures in the city, having been completed in the late 18th century.

References

Streets in Portland, Maine Tourist attractions in Portland, Maine Port of Portland (Maine) Redeveloped ports and waterfronts in the United States {{Maine-road-stub