Maine Medical Center rises amidst the skyline of Portland's West End neighborhood. Prior to the 1960s, the hospital did not have a parking garage and instead used the plateau of land behind the hospital buildings for parking. However, as the hospital expanded, parking in the neighborhood grew increasingly scarce. In 1969, MMC completed the Richards Wing project, which included the parking garage visible at the forefront of this image. To accommodate the garage, MMC purchased from the city a lot that had previously been used as a reservoir, but had since been drained when no longer needed. The lot bordered Bramhall, Chadwick, and Vaughan Streets.