AUBURN — Demolition of half of the Great Falls Performing Arts Center could begin in August, but work getting building ready would begin much sooner.
Roland Miller, Auburn’s economic development director, told city councilors Monday that negotiations giving the Community Little Theatre a lease for the remaining portions are continuing and should be ready for their review at the June 20 meeting.
“There are a lot of moving parts to this and a lot of work has been done,” he said.
City officials have been discussing the fate of the building since November, when the City Council voted to move all tenants out of the building this month and knock it down in June. That spurred renewed talks between the theater group and the building’s other tenants.
They reached an agreement in April, but it only preserves the eastern half of the building.
According to a memo of understanding with the theater group, the city would lease the space to the theater group for $1 per year through 2110. The city plans to preserve the eastern portion of the building, home to the theater and its costume storage space, the gym, a handful of artists and exercise spaces and vacant offices.
The western side is slated to close and be demolished.
Miller said the city is ready to open bids for an environmental assessment of the old building.
“We need that so we can start the bids for demolition,” Miller said. “That tells the bidders what they’ll be looking at concerning hazardous materials like asbestos.”
That report should be finished by July 18 and the city should begin taking bids for the demolition project itself on July 26. They hope to award the contracts in August, signing contracts by Aug. 18. Work should be completed by November, he said.
Miller said the city is hoping to get state money to pay part of the demolition costs. He said the city has sent a letter of intent to the Maine Department of Economic Development asking to be allowed to apply for $325,000 from the Communities for Maine’s Future fund.
“It was a substantial letter, and there were a lot of criteria in it,” he said. “What we are applying for is construction activity in the area, parking lot and catch basin work and some work on the interior after the separation.”
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