LEWISTON – Developer Rick Breton is giving the former Camera Service Center building an upgrade for new tenants while he simultaneously looks for a buyer on another downtown property.

The former camera store at 40 Lisbon St. is being refurbished into office suites, which will likely be occupied by attorneys at the first of next year, Breton said. His other property – the four vacant lots that once grounded the Cressley, Kora Temple and Greely buildings – is up for sale.

“I’m putting the sign on it next week,” Breton said. The buildings were destroyed in a Dec. 19 fire last year that was set by three men convicted of arson-related charges.

The demolition of the century-old buildings cost Breton $400,000, which wasn’t fully covered by his insurance, he said. The city tried to spur interest in developing that space for commercial use by offering a tax incentive that would lower lease rates. But Breton said the only interested parties wanted residential development – primarily low-income and senior housing.

“There are a lot of good incentive programs, but not for that,” he said. “Basically I’m burned out with that stuff. I just want to recoup my costs.”

He declined to say what the asking price will be for the ¾-acre parcel.

But he did offer that he has prospective tenants lined up for the renovated office space a couple of blocks down the street. The two-story building has about 2,000 square feet of space on each floor. He intends to renovate the interior in oak and build a vestibule for clients.

The building has a glass door at the street level with multiple pockets for brochures or pamphlets, prompting speculation that the building might be occupied by a real estate agent or a tourist agency. Breton laughed, and said the door was there temporarily while the renovation work continues.

Cleaning out the building was a chore, though. He said he filled about seven Dumpsters worth of junk, much of it old broken cameras and photography equipment that had been left there by previous occupants.

Although he said he thinks there is an overabundance of available local office space, the refurbished Camera Service Store building will have an edge.

“It’s 500 feet from the courthouse,” he said. “I think this will work.”