FHP Engine Services owner gets $265,000 for his building and his business
By Scott Taylor
Staff Writer

LEWISTON – The city will pay FHP Engine Services owner Richard Lepage $265,000 to move out of his 495 Lisbon St. shop, councilors agreed Tuesday.

Councilors accepted the deal during their regular meeting, after discussing it briefly in executive session Tuesday. The property is just south of the former Good Shepherd warehouse and part of the city’s redevelopment plans for lower Lisbon Street.

“This was a price that was voluntarily agreed to by both the city and Mr. Lepage,” City Administrator Jim Bennett said.

Jim Andrews, director of the city’s Economic and Community Development department, said the agreement is the first of four the city is discussing with lower Lisbon Street property owners. Andrews said the city is still negotiating with owners of Nadeau’s Garage at 400 Canal St., the Lincoln Street Radiator Shop at 500 Canal St. and the apartment building at 482 Canal St.

Andrews said he also hopes to broker a deal with The Shop owner Richard Hussey by the next council meeting on Aug. 19. Hussey rents his space at 497 Lisbon St. from Lepage.

“I’m pointing toward the next council meeting for The Shop,” Andrews said. “But that’s the one I think we’ll see settled by then.”

According to the sales agreement with the city, Lepage agrees to be out of the space by Aug. 31. Hussey has until Sept. 23, according to the agreement but Andrews said he expects him to move early next month.

City and business leaders unveiled their plan to revamp the city’s southern gateway along Lisbon Street in May.

According to plans, the city would join developers Stanley Sklar of the Franklin Property Trust and businesses Oxford Networks and Northeast Bank in redeveloping the block of buildings surrounded by Lisbon, Maple and Canal streets.

Plans call for three new office buildings, new sidewalks, buried utilities and a parking garage on the block. The deal would bring between 200-300 jobs to the area and could be complete within three years.

Councilors also agreed to sell $4.5 million in bonds to pay for their share of the work in the district.

“This includes the money we need for these property acquisitions and relocations, and building demolitions,” Bennett said.

“It also includes the costs for the design of the parking garage so we can get started on that,” he added.

Bennett said the bond money would also be used to pay for road and public improvements along Lisbon Street.

The lower Lisbon Street district, called the Southern Gateway Development District, is tied to the economic deal with Oxford Networks and Franklin Property Trust councilors passed Tuesday. That district is bounded by Knox, Spruce, Lisbon, Cedar and Canal streets and Adams Avenue.

staylor@sunjournal.com