The Androscoggin County District Attorney’s office is expected to move to the fourth floor of the Peck Center at 154 Main St. in Lewiston. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal file photo

AUBURN — Androscoggin County commissioners are expected to close on a deal Friday to purchase the fourth floor of the Peck Center on Main Street in downtown Lewiston to house the District Attorney’s office.

County Administrator Jeffrey Chute announced the closing at Wednesday night’s commissioners’ meeting.

Commissioners appropriated from the American Rescue Plan Act funds $65,983 to cover closing costs and an additional $30,000 to cover moving expenses from its current second-floor 55 Lisbon St. home to the new offices at 184 Main St.

Located in the heart of downtown Lewiston at the intersection of Lisbon and Main streets, the four-story building built in 1899 originally housed B. Peck & Co., the area’s flagship department store for more than 80 years before it closed in 1981. L.L.Bean then operated a call center in the building for 32 years before closing it in 2021 during the pandemic.

The fourth floor formerly housed a law firm.

Most recently, the building has served as the location for the Maine Resiliency Center, following the Oct. 25, 2023, mass shooting which killed 18 people in Lewiston. The center provided free community connection, support and resources to those impacted by the shooting. It remains open on the second floor.

The eventual move ends the saga of the DA’s current office space.

In January, commissioners voted to stop paying the $4,500 monthly rent for use of the second floor at 55 Lisbon St. until the chronic issues with the building are resolved. The building is adjacent to the 8th District Court.

Problems include an elevator that has not worked since the fall of 2022, roof leaks and, earlier this year, the building had no electricity for four consecutive days.

Other issues with the building during the past few months include a door-locking system not working and a dumpster fire in the back of the building that nearly forced the evacuation of the office due to fumes.

The county has rented space in the building for about eight years.

The lack of a working elevator on Lisbon Street will complicate the moving of thousands of legal files to its new location.

In other business, commissioners unanimously voted to donate $5,000 to the Lewiston-Auburn Balloon Festival. Former Lewiston Mayor Mark Cayer spoke to commissioners about the need for more funding for the festival.

Commissioners approved spending $20,060.72 for the purchase and installation of emergency equipment for the two vehicles purchased earlier this year for the sheriff’s department. The contract was awarded to To The Limit Tinting, LLC, of Winslow.

Androscoggin County Sheriff Eric Samson presented a timeline for construction of the Sheriff’s Office at the former Evergreen Subaru dealership at 774 Center St. A proposal to bond the project could be sent to voters as soon as spring 2025 or during the following November election, Samson said.

The design is expected to be completed between the summer 2025 and the winter of 2026, Construction could start as early as spring 2026, according to information provided by Samson.