This story will be updated.
The University of Maine System now plans to sell the Hutchinson Center in Belfast to an agency that provides community services in Waldo County, after it rescinded an earlier offer to sell the facility to a local church.
Waldo Community Action Partners has now been selected to buy the facility, the system announced on Friday morning. Waldo CAP offered to pay $3.06 million for the property, which was above the appraised value of $2.52 million for the building.
That was also higher than the offers made by the two other bidders. Calvary Chapel Belfast, which had earlier been selected as the buyer, offered $1.1 million. A partnership of the Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee and Waterfall Arts offered to pay $1.8 million.
Like the two other bidders, Waldo CAP has also agreed to lease some space currently housing Networkmaine infrastructure back to the UMaine System at no cost for at least five years to maintain internet connectivity for public schools, libraries and other institutions in the midcoast.
The other bidders now have five days to appeal the decision.
