By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – A few Lisbon Street lots are turning into one big land deal for the city.

Councilors are expected to vote next week on several deals that would give the city four vacant lots and a Lisbon Street adult bookstore.

“We really don’t have any short-term plans for any of the properties,” said Assistant City Manager Greg Mitchell. “The city was just presented with an opportunity and it makes sense.”

The Planning Board reviewed the deals on Monday and suggested that the City Council go ahead. It plans to vote at its meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 5.

In the biggest of the deals, the city will pay Richard Laliberte of Leeds $315,000 for his building at 308 Lisbon St. That’s the building behind the Lewiston Police Department offices and home to the Treasure Chest III adult bookstore and the former home to the Hurricane Club.

The building was burned in a fire at the Hurricane Club in October, and Laliberte said that’s when he decided to make a deal with the city.

“They asked me about two years ago if I’d be interested in selling,” he said. “I wasn’t, not at that time. But after the fire, the time was right for me and the city.”

The Hurricane Club was interested in moving back if Laliberte remodeled the space. He’s reluctant to do that now, he said.

“Because of the fire, because of my age, I think I have to slow down a bit,” he said. “It would take about five years to make any money back from that, and I’m not looking for a long-term commitment right now.”

But Naomi Bruce, owner of the Treasure Chest III, is.

“Like it or not, we are running a business here,” she said. She’s worried that the city is going to shut her down after taking over the building.

Bruce does not have a lease on the space, which she rents from month to month.

“My biggest concern is this: If they want to own the building, fine,” she said. “If you want us gone, then help us out. Help move us.”

Mitchell refused to speculate about plans for the building.

“We have not taken a position on any of it yet,” Mitchell said. “We plan to look at it and see what makes sense.”

According to the other deal, the city will turn four small lots at Lisbon and Cedar streets into one big lot. The city already owns the lot at the corner, 369 Lisbon St. That will be combined with three abutting lots to form one nearly 10,000-square-foot lot.

“The bottom line is, that’s a very high-profile location,” Mitchell said. “We saw the opportunity to aggregate these lots, from very small pieces with no value into something that could influence the direction of the rest of the development of the downtown.”

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