LEWISTON — Councilors added one more property to the list of soon-to-be demolished buildings Tuesday night.

Councilors found that 357 Sabattus St., a two-family building that has been vacant for at least two years, to be a blight on the neighborhood and dangerous.

“The main structure is unstable, the porch and interior are collapsing, the floors are collapsing as are the walls on the interior,”  Code Enforcement Officer Tom Maynard said. “The garage is also structurally unstable, the roof has collapsed. The water has been turned off, the heating system is inoperable and it is a fire hazard due to being continuously broken into.”

Lewiston code officials have been working to identify and demolish dangerous and unstable tenements in the downtown, working from a list of 50 condemned or vacant buildings that could be coming before the council for demolition hearings.

Councilors voted in April to tear down buildings at 81 Lincoln St. and 67 Oak St. Both have been abandoned for years, have become targets for squatters and thieves and blights on their neighborhoods.

Councilors voted on March 20 to demolish downtown tenements at 10 College St. and 305 Bates St. Both buildings were thriving apartments at one time, until the owners could no longer afford to pay the mortgage, taxes, fees and maintenance.

Two other buildings were spared by councilors Tuesday night. Planning and Code Director Gil Arsenault said owners of the buildings at 72 Wellman St. and 220 Park St. had contacted the city and said they had plans for their buildings.

TD Bank, mortgage holders on 220 Park St., were working with a potential buyer.

“If that doesn’t happen, we can go ahead with the demolition,” Arsenault said.

Jeffrey Baumer, owner of the 72 Wellman St. building, has 45 days to show progress toward making repairs to that building.

“If he can move forward, we expect the building will be substantially renovated by October,” Arsenault said. “If there is not progress, the city is empowered to act.”

staylor@sunjournal.com