PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland Museum of Art is moving forward with demolishing the building next door to make room for an expansion and released plans about what it wants to do with the property in the interim.

The tear-down process appeared to begin Monday morning, with the arrival of heavy equipment and safety tape cordoning off the area. According to museum officials, work is expected between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The building was formerly a theater from 1830-1835, a church from 1835-1926, the headquarters for the Chamber of Commerce from 1926-1991, and the home of the children's museum from 1991-2019, according to court documents. In 2019, the children's museum building was purchased by the Portland Museum of Art.

The Children's Theater itself, formerly known

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