AUBURN — City staffers will be moving offices within Auburn Hall over the next week to make room on the third floor for rental space.

“This is a big, beautiful building, but it’s expensive,” City Manager Glenn Aho said. “We’d like to see if we can recoup some of the utility costs with rent.”

Aho said the entire third floor, 8,887 square feet with a secure elevator and use of the Mechanics Row parking garage, will be available to rent for a private business or nonprofit.

“We’re not going to spend any money and advertise it, but we are going make it known on the website and by word of mouth,” Aho said.

Auburn Hall’s third floor was shared by the Auburn School Department and the city’s Community Development Department. School officials also maintained space on the second floor, opposite City Council chambers and administrative staff.

The School Department moved to the fourth floor this spring, leaving room on the second and third floors. Community Development will move into the vacant second-floor space next week.

Aho said he tried to find alternative uses for the second-floor space and considered using it as the administrative office space for a combined police and fire public safety department.

“But it’s apparent that this is going to be a long-term issue that is slow to develop,” Aho said. “Really, moving the police and fire administration into that space only makes sense if we can close one other facility, and we just can’t close the police station on Minot Avenue. So using that space for public safety just isn’t possible right now.”

The entire third floor can be rented, or it can divided into two sections of 3,098 square feet and 5,779 square feet.

People interested in leasing space from the city should contact Economic Development Director Roland Miller.

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