Quimby-owned Building Languishes

A Portland building in which philanthropist Roxanne Quimby once planned to open artists studios has become an eyesore and a nuisance.

The Burts Bees cofounder suspended work on the brick Victorian at 660 Congress Street after  the Portland Historic Preservation Board found that her design for the Quimby Colony failed to met standards set by the city's historic preservation ordinance.  "I didn’t know where to go from there," Quimby told The Bollard. [1] "That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. That’s why it’s still sitting there.”

The building has been boarded up since a fire more than a year ago and, much to the dismay of neighbors, it has now become a troublesome gathering place for loiterers.

In the meantime, Quimby is converting the former Roma Cafe/Bramhall Pub into the Quimby Colony's home.