City seeks grant to fix armory

SOUTH PORTLAND — Although they’ve signed a long-term lease on the former armory, the South Portland City Council isn’t waiting for its new tenant to spruce up the southern gateway to the city.

Fore River Soundstage LLC, a film-production company, has reportedly fielded "numerous calls of interest" from studios looking to sublet the armory since it took the keys, June 1. The lease agreement gives it wide latitude to rehabilitate the cavernous interior of the 70-year-old structure.

However, the city retained an easement to the building's facade and, at its June 20 meeting, the council elected to go for a $100,000 grant, hoping to give a makeover to the armory’s forward face.

If awarded, money from the "Meeting Maine's Downtown Challenge" program – doled out by the state's Office of Community Development – would be used to "repair or replace" the concrete entrance steps, as well as architectural details made of masonry and concrete that have deteriorated over the years. Time also would be given to clean or replace brickwork on the front face of the building.

Assistant City Manager Eric Conrad, who wrote the grant, said work will not plug roof leaks, repair the tower flag pole ripped off in a storm several years ago, or replace about $75,000 worth of windows.

However, the façade work is a start on rehabilitating the armory, just as the city hopes Fore River will revitalize local coffers by becoming a stand-in for lost manufacturing.

“This is essentially work to the public face of the building,” said Councilor Tom Coward. “When people come into South Portland for the first time, this is what they see, this is the face for the city. The appearance of this building is very important to our image as a city, and I think this is certainly, for the projected costs and the benefits of this, it’s certainly well worthwhile.”

The grant requires a 100 percent local match, which the city would take from its TIF (tax increment financing) agreement with Hannaford supermarkets. According to City Manager James Gailey, South Portland take in about $140,000 per year in taxes from the Hannaford warehouse expansion. That money is put into a pool (currently $436,697) that the city dedicates to development of public buildings in the Knightvile/Mill Creek area. 

Although making the armory more presentable is the primary goal of the project, city officials also hope the work would prepare the way for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

"There are currently no [such] listings in the city of South Portland," said Gailey. "Staff has begun the background research necessary to identify and mark the building's period of significance, most likely representing the county's involvement in World War II."

The project is expected to go out to bid in July. Work would begin in August, with the expectation that it would be complete before winter.