AUBURN — A plan to make expanding a Great Falls Plaza bus station possible picked up City Council support even as councilors began to question the funding to build the structure.

Most councilors at a Monday night workshop discussion said they were fine with building reinforced footers into the structure of the planned bus station. That would allow the city or a developer to build a new parking garage — or another kind of development — on top of the bus station.

“I don’t think we want to close the door on any possibilities,” Mayor Jonathan LaBonte said.

Councilors approved a resolution in December that moves the proposed bus station away from Hannaford supermarket to the parking lot across from the Auburn Housing Authority’s Esplanade Apartments.

The station would be about 1,500 square feet, with room for a warm seating area, two public restrooms and a break area for drivers.

The project has been in the works for 10 years.

The Lewiston Auburn Transit Committee and the city have set aside about $500,000 for the center. That includes federal grant money and city Tax Increment Finance revenue set aside for downtown economic development.

The original plans put the station beside a proposed Great Falls Plaza garage in the parking lot near the Auburn Esplanade and Hilton Garden Inn.

That garage was not built, however, and the Transit Committee moved the hub for Auburn’s bus traffic to Spring Street, near Hannaford, with potential site plans and building designs being released in 2014. Complications with Spring Street land ownership persuaded the city to move the center back to Great Falls Plaza.

Much of the funding comes from a bond issue approved by councilors in 2004 that was never funded. LaBonte said he’s concerned the bond will expire. Councilor Tizz Crowley, who said she is very skeptical of the center, said she worried about that as well.

“We are now talking about a plan for downtown and bonds that are 11 years old,” Crowley said. “This council has not discussed a plan for the downtown. We now can come forward that we have these open bonds. Well how many? How long will they last? How much? I am not willing to spend anything until or consider anything until I know what’s in the kitty and where the money is.”

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