AUBURN — Developers have been calling the city’s director of economic development, Roland Miller, ever since the city began talking about vacating the police station at 1 Minot Ave.

“But I can really get rolling now,” Miller said. “I can really start talking to people and see what we can make happen.”

Councilors gave Miller the go-ahead to begin taking offers on the building Monday. Police Chief Phil Crowell said he expects the Police Department should be out of the building by June.

“We’re moving ahead really well,” Crowell said. “We have 12 people in administration moved over and we’re ready to start planning more.”

Beginning in February, the department’s administrators, detectives and support services began relocating to the third floor of Auburn Hall on Court Street. That’s space once occupied by the Auburn School Department and the city’s Community Development Department.

Patrol officers, records and support staff are moving to Auburn Hall’s basement, taking over space most recently occupied by the city’s computer department. The basement gymnasium will come as well, as well as proper locker rooms for all the officers.

The city’s off-duty police cruisers will be parked in the Mechanics Row parking garage, taking over spaces on the first floor near the entrance. On-duty cruisers will be parked on the plaza between Auburn Hall and the garage while officers are in the building.

Miller said several developers have said they are interested in the building. The lot is 1.2 acres. The building’s main level is 7,504 square feet, the basement is 5,560 square feet and an attached garage is 2,304 square feet.

“I have been contacted about this piece of property as far back as five years ago,” Miller said. “They’ve said, ‘If this building ever goes on the market, please let me know.'”

The building’s assessed value is $1.3 million.

Only Councilor Belinda Gerry objected, saying it might be wiser to keep the building in city hands until the Police Department had completed the move comfortably.

“If we try it and it doesn’t work out, we’ll have to figure out another piece of property and build or go into someplace else,” Gerry said.

City Manager Glenn Aho said he was confident the building would not sell until the entire police department had completed its move into Auburn Hall.

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