LEWISTON — Senior citizen programs and city recreation could move out of the Multi-Purpose Center, making room for an expanded Longley Elementary School, councilors were told Tuesday.

Senior programs could be moved to the Knights of Columbus building at 150 East Ave., City Administrator Ed Barrett said.

“It is a very sizable building and would provide greater space, I believe, for the seniors than they currently have — plus there is an alternative for other uses,” he said. “And I think it could all be coordinated with continued use by the Knights.”

Councilors heard three options for finding more space for Longley students at their Tuesday night workshop meeting. 

One involved building temporary modular buildings at the Montello School to house a growing citywide prekindergarten program. A second involved moving senior programs to the Knights of Columbus building and a third involved moving seniors to the Lewiston Memorial Armory on Central Avenue.

Councilors are expected to discuss the idea more at their Dec. 20 meeting.

City senior and recreation programs have shared a roof with the Longley Elementary School since it was built in the 1970s.

School officials first pitched the idea of taking over the Multi-Purpose Center to the City Council in September. An early childhood center would be built there in fall of 2012, and would house all of the city’s prekindergarten students, freeing up classroom space at all of the city’s elementary schools.

Lewiston School Superintendent Bill Webster said the school system is facing a growth spurt, adding 100 students per year for the foreseeable future. The school will need at least four new classrooms by the start of school 2012 and moving the early childhood students into one space is one way to solve the problem.

Seniors and city councilors didn’t like the idea in September, and asked Webster and city staff to come up with alternatives.

They heard those options Tuesday. Barrett said the Montello School modular buildings would cost the School Department $270,000 up front, plus an estimated $64,000 annually. Part of that could be reimbursed by the state.

But Webster and Principal Linda St. Andre said there were reasons to move the seniors out of the Multi-Purpose Center. Students there would be safer and more secure if they could be kept away from adults more easily. Giving students access to the rest of the building would let them expand gym classes and after-school programs, as well.

Webster said the city is hoping the state will build a new downtown elementary school for Lewiston, hopefully replacing the Martel and Longley schools.

“It’s real important to know just what is the decision about the Multi-Purpose Center,” Webster said. “If the decision is to just maintain the status quo, I’d argue that Longley students need to be relocated as soon as possible.”

Moving the seniors to the Lewiston Armory would cost an additional $300,000, and Recreation Director Maggie Chisholm said it’s not a popular choice with senior citizens.

“They feel the area is too congested and too crowded,” she said.

But moving to the Knights of Columbus building does have the support of the city’s Senior Citizens Board. 

“They have a huge first floor, a huge kitchen and better parking,” Chisholm said. I would not in any way speak against it. They’d have more office spaces and more privacy and room for the veterans groups.”

Former Lewiston Mayor Lionel Guay, the chair of the Knights of Columbus Home Trust, said membership at the group has decreased and the trust is considering selling the building. It’s not on the market currently, but he has talked with city officials.

According to Barrett, the city could pay $150,000 for the building, plus another $136,000 to build a new elevator and make the building handicapped-accessible. Annual costs would be about $3,000 less than the city currently budgets for the Multi-Purpose Center operations.

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