The B&M Baked Bean cannery, a longtime staple in Portland, has been designated as an historic landmark.
The B&M Beans’ legacy dates to 1867 when Burnham and Morrill Co. began canning meats and vegetables. The factory, which sits overlooking Casco Bay, was built in 1913, and the company started producing canned baked beans in the 1920s.
The Portland City Council voted unanimously on Monday to approve the building as an historic landmark, the Portland Phoenix reported.
Although the factory ceased production of its canned goods in 2021, the 13.5 acre property that the B&M cannery sits on was purchased by Northeastern University to turn the space into offices, classrooms and research space. It will serve as a satellite location of the Roux Institute, providing a tech-oriented campus intended to house graduate-level programs, research and business development.
The former cannery is the only building on that parcel that will be preserved, and will be used as a business space, the Phoenix reported.
The campus project is still underway, as development plans still need to be approved by the city’s planning board.
