By Carol Coultas,Business Writer

LEWISTON – Alex Tessmann isn’t afraid of a challenge.

Yesterday he maneuvered a 33-ton Freightliner truck across Lisbon Street and backed into the former McCrory’s department store, where he unloaded a steel container that will soon be full of demolition debris.

The debris is coming from a $1 million renovation of the landmark building, which Tessmann bought in September. Today, he’ll address a downtown press conference to talk about his plans for opening an outpatient mental health agency in that space.

“We were looking at communities where there weren’t enough services and where there was a gap to be filled,” said Tessmann, chief executive of PROTEA Behavioral Health Services. The Bangor-based mental health company already operates satellite offices in Machias, Calais, Waterville, Wilton, Hallowell and Portland. “There are good services available here, but the demand exceeds the supply.”

Plans call for building about 50 offices in the former department store. The first floor will be occupied by PROTEA and the second floor by Sweetser, a Saco-based mental health agency that has collaborated with PROTEA to deliver services in Portland and Saco. A Sweetser spokeswoman said that agency would release details about its operation at today’s press conference.

Tessmann said he expects to hire 10 to 15 mental health professionals for the Lewiston office, who would range in expertise from licensed clinical social workers to psychiatrists.

But first, there are at least seven months’ worth of work, renovating and rehabilitating the building that has been a fixture in downtown Lewiston since 1911 when it was S.S. Kresge and Co. The five-and-dime later became McCrory’s, offering downtown workers and residents a place to shop and grab a quick bite to eat until it closed in 2000. Before Tessmann’s ownership, the building housed a short-lived discount merchandiser and a paint ball facility.

The building has become decrepit. The awning over the main entrance is in tatters and windows that were broken in a 2004 explosion at Lewiston Radiator Works are still cracked.

Then, last February, the 22,000-square-foot facility was damaged in a flood from a broken water main that sent 1 million gallons of water through the basement and first floor.

The damage was severe. Tessmann said he has to replace the entire electrical system because of water damage. And concerns about mold are forcing him to rip out walls to the brick exterior and rebuild.

“I won’t really know the extent of the damage until we get in there and rip things out,” said Tessmann. “(The costs) could be closer to $2 million,” he said with a quick smile.

Tessmann and his wife started PROTEA in 2001, hoping to address a critical need for mental health providers in Maine. Their first office in Bangor had a staff of seven, and the goal was to serve 20 to 25 children. Now they operate offices across the state, have a staff of 100 and contract with 200 licensed mental health care providers.

Before coming to Maine, Tessmann lived in British Columbia, where he operated a small newspaper and a trucking company, among other businesses.

He said he suspects he’s the only CEO in Maine who handles all his company’s executive duties and accounting ledgers, drives rigs and operates heavy equipment.

“It is a huge undertaking,” he said of the McCrory project. “But yes, I like a challenge.”