HOULTON, Maine — Town Councilors on Monday evening approved a bid from a Houlton business to conduct a significant project at the Gentle Memorial Building.
Councilors accepted the low bid of $178,090 from Buildings Etcetera for the repair project at the recreation center, which will include removing asbestos laden siding and replacing a number of windows with energy efficient ones.
Town Manager William MacDonald said that the Houlton business was the only company to submit a bid.
The town has been hoping to get the work done for a long time. The Gentle Memorial Building is now 68-years-old and has been damaged over the years by water that has seeped into the building and a general lack of proper maintenance upkeep over the years.
Construction will begin as soon as possible, according to MacDonald.
In other business, councilors took the first steps to transfer $27,200 from the town’s surplus account to cover costs associated with demolishing two unsafe buildings at 29 and 31 High Street. The buildings are owned by Joan M. Wylie and the town is interested in trying to recoup the costs of the removal.
MacDonald said that he received the go ahead to proceed after consulting with the town attorney and having property inspections and engineering studies done. MacDonald said that once the buildings are down, the town could seize the land and sell the lots to recoup costs.
