LEWISTON – Crews can begin demolishing a 75-foot-tall smoke stack above the Libbey Mill, councilors agreed Tuesday.

Age, weather and a lack of maintenance have left the stack in bad shape, according to city officials. Norm Beauparlant, city director of budgeting and purchasing, said he was touring the site two weeks ago and noticed daylight showing through the bricks of the tower.

“And the recent weather hasn’t helped it,” he said.

The stack overlooks a building owned by Florida Power and Light, and Beauparlant said there is some concern that it could fall over on its own if nothing is done.

The area is part of a planned Island Point development project. Developer Travis Soule hopes to redevelop the Cowan Mill first, eventually redeveloping the Libbey building over the next seven years. The Cowan Mill is immediately along the Androscoggin River, just downstream from the Great Falls. The Libbey building is just east of the Cowan building.

According to the developer’s agreement for the area, the city will spend $7.5 million in the form of grants, road improvements and new parking structures at the site. City Administrator Jim Bennett said Tuesday that the costs for the stack will come out of that account.

The city will pay Roland Chabot Demolition of Auburn $12,000 to do the job. Bennett said the city has worked with Chabot before and offered the company the job.