An ongoing expansion at the Portland Museum of Art is about to get bigger.

The museum is planning to acquire four downtown properties on Free Street from MaineHealth, which is consolidating its administrative office space over the next two years.

PMA Director Mark Bessire said a surface parking lot is also part of the deal, which he believes will open up new opportunities for the museum and Portland's art district.

"We do think there's no doubt that having the parking open in this area, street parking, will help all the local businesses, the State Theatre to the Flat Iron," he said. "And we probably will see an increase in our attendance at the museum of maybe 5% or 10% by having adjacent parking."

PMA eventually plans to move administrative staff into one of the new MaineHealth proper

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