LEWISTON — The city is looking for contractors to fix the roof of Bates Mill No. 5 that was damaged by fire in 2009.
Most of the damage went unrepaired last year as the City Council debated whether the building should be torn down, said Norm Beauparlant, director of budget and purchasing.
Beauparlant said additional roof damage came earlier this year when crews were inspecting the roof as they prepared to knock down the building.
“We allowed them to make some additional cuts, testing for asbestos,” Beauparlant said. “There was no reason to fix any of that damage because we thought it was coming down.”
The bid calls for patching and splicing the rubber roof membrane in 12 places, including one 2,150-square-foot section along the building’s northeastern side.
According to the bid document, the city plans a contractors meeting on Oct. 19 with final bids due by Oct. 26. The work must be finished by Dec. 15.
The roof of Mill No. 5 at the corner of Main and Canal streets caught fire in July 2009 when embers from the burning Cowan Mill across the street landed there.
But Beauparlant said the damage to the large 2,150-square-foot portion was never fixed because City Councilors were planning to demolish the building.
Councilors voted this spring to stay that demolition.
“But then that work needed to be done,” Beauparlant said. “Every time it rained this year, I knew we had to get back out and fix that roof. We need to get it done and sealed before the ice starts to form there and really causes problems.”
The city sent out requests for bids Friday. Beauparlant estimated the work would cost the city $20,000.
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