NORWAY — A close-up review of the Norway Opera House clock tower roof has revealed the roof appears to be in fairly good shape, Town Manager David Holt said on Wednesday.

Al Hodson of Resurgence Engineering in Portland climbed on top of a 100-foot ladder truck borrowed from the Oxford Fire Department on Sunday to inspect the century-plus-old clock tower after two metal shingles, measuring about 2 1/2 feet by 2 1/2 feet, fell off the four-story brick structure.

“He wanted to look at the masonry on top to see what type of shape it is in,” Holt said, explaining the maneuver that was done on a frigid afternoon using safety belts.

“It went well. He was reasonably happy with it,” said Holt of Hodson’s review of the roof. Because of the weather, Hodson did not get as good a look at the weather vane as he had hoped to.

The town is currently working with the Norway Opera House Corp. to use historic tax credits in partnership with Norway Savings Bank to renovate the first floor storefronts using the $400,000 Communities for Maine’s Future Grant that was received last fall. The work, which is expected to go out to bid in the spring, will include refurbishing the basement area, wiring, plumbing and bringing the basement and ground floor of the building up to code.

“We’re trying to see where to prioritize spending the money,” Holt said. “If there were big problems with the tower, that might change our plans.”

Holt said there is also discussion about retaining the ownership of the clock tower because of the “special meaning” it has to many people in town. The ownership of the Opera House is expected to be transferred to the Norway Opera House Corp. or some other entity in the future.

Prior to taking the building by eminent domain last year, the town had a right of way agreement with the previous owner to access the clock tower. Holt said if the previous owner had sold the Opera House, the clock tower could have been sold with it.

Holt said that the former Woodman’s Sporting Goods store, a 1930s log cabin style building that is attached to the Opera House, would not be part of any deal to keep the clock tower.

In 2010, special town meeting voters authorized selectmen to take the Opera House property by eminent domain after a portion of the roof collapsed on Sept. 21, 2007, severing a sprinkler pipe and flooding first-floor occupied spaces.

The town has since stabilized the back wall of the building that showed signs of collapsing.

ldixon@sunjournal.com