AUBURN — Councilors gave developer Joe Casalinova two more years to come up with a development plan for the city’s old police station at 1 Minot Ave.
“By the time you take it from concept through permitting through planning, our goal is to not have to take 24 months,” Casalinova said Monday. “But it does take time.”
Casalinova would not say what directions his plans are taking, but said it does involve other properties along Minot Avenue.
Auburn Police left the old building in April 2011, moving into the basement floor of Auburn Hall. That left the old police station at 1 Minot Avenue vacant, and the city began advertising the property.
Casalinova first stepped forward a year later, and the city gave him his first purchase option in February 2012. They’ve voted to extend it three times — in April, November and Monday night — giving the developer time to take suggestions from neighbors and Auburn residents.
Casalinova said last spring that he imagines the area will be a new gateway for visitors, linking the Washington Street corridor and Auburn’s Maine Turnpike interchange with the Twin Cities’ downtowns.
His plans call for multiple stories on the site with retail space for a financial institution, possibly a bank or a credit union, on the first floor. Upper floors would be office space.
Casalinova said he’d like to relocate his company’s headquarter to the building eventually. Company headquarters are currently at 248 King St. in Oxford.
The lot is 1.2 acres containing a two-story building. The building’s first floor is 7,504 square feet, the basement is 5,560 square feet and an attached garage is 2,304 square feet.
Councilors also included a smaller vacant lot in the agreement, a parcel about 900 feet south of the old police station on Minot Avenue.
Casalinova also agreed to increase his investment by another $10,000, payable in $2,500 allotments. So far, he has paid the city $10,000 for his option to purchase the property.
Casalinova said he’s formed a new limited liability corporation, One Minot Avenue LLC, to handle the project.
“One Minot Avenue LLC is Joe Casalinova,” he said. “It’s my vehicle, the holding company that will help bring in investment capital.”
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