The University of Maine System plans to negotiate with a church in Belfast to take over ownership of the Hutchinson Center.
The building had been used for more than two decades as a satellite campus in Belfast for education and community events. But with less use during the pandemic, the system decided to sell the building earlier this year.
A group of community residents had submitted a bid to keep using the property as a community and educational resources. Waldo County Community Action Partners also placed a bid on the site.
But on Thursday, the system announced that it had chosen to negotiate with Calvary Chapel Belfast on the purchase because the organization produced the "top-scoring response."
"Beyond the proposed purchase price and other factors, the university’s scoring took into consideration how the buyer would work with UMS to maintain internet connectivity for midcoast schools, libraries and community centers through a system-supported NetworkMaine access hub long located at the site," a system spokesperson said.
In a Facebook video, the church's pastor said he hopes to "honor the legacy" of the university and plans to use the facility for education and special events.
