University of Maine decides to sell Hutchinson Center in Belfast to Waldo Community Action Partners
The University of Maine has selected a new buyer for the Hutchinson Center following a repeat of a request for proposals in October.
Waldo Community Action Partners plans to maintain critical internet connectivity infrastructure and pay $3.06 million for the property, which is above both the appraised value and the offers from the two other respondents, UMaine said in a news release Nov. 15.
The nonprofit received the highest score among three proposals to purchase the Hutchinson Center in Belfast, allowing it to move forward to negotiate a sale agreement with UMaine.
Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP) offered $3.06 million for the property, which was appraised at $2.52 million.
Bid competitor offers included $1.8 million from the Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee/Waterfall Arts and $1.1 million from Calvary Chapel Belfast.
A statement from from Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee was issued Nov. 15:
"The members of the Belfast-based Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee and partner organization Waterfall Arts congratulate Waldo Community Action Partners for receiving the Hutchinson Center award based on their strong bid.
"Our group has been working diligently for well over a year to retain the Hutchinson Center for our community. We had intended to operate the Center as the educational, cultural and civic hub of Belfast, Waldo County and the mid-coast Maine region, establishing a new center for community engagement and resurrecting the Center’s role as a regional conference destination for businesses and organizations alike. We offer our thanks to the many citizens who have expressed their support for this effort."
Like the two other bidders, WCAP also agreed to lease the space currently housing Networkmaine infrastructure back to the University of Maine System (UMS) at no cost for at least five years so the System can maintain important internet connectivity for public schools, libraries and other institutions in the midcoast, UMaine said.
Additionally, WCAP demonstrated proof of funds and their top-scoring proposal did not have any contingencies that could delay a timely transition of the property, which the university anticipates could be completed by early 2025. UMaine has the right to terminate negotiations at any point if they are not proceeding in a manner that is in its best interest as a public institution, the university said.
All three bidders were notified earlier in the day Nov. 15 of the outcome of the request for proposals (RFP) process and the ability of those with lower-scoring offers to appeal the award in writing within five business days.
This is the second solicitation to find a buyer for the Hutchinson Center, which includes a 30,515-square-foot main building, 1,963-square-foot barn and 11.6 acres, and it generated proposals from the same three local organizations as the first. In September, the System rescinded a previous award to negotiate after determining during the second stage of a formal appeal process that there had been a deficiency in the original RFP’s evaluation criteria because it did not allow for the full financial impact associated with the Networkmaine hub to be considered.
In response, a new RFP was issued on Oct. 4 and based on the proposed purchase price in relation to the property’s appraised value (85 of 100 total points available), various contingencies typical with real estate transactions (10 points) and the cost of the Networkmaine-related lease (5 points).
To promote continued fairness and transparency, UMaine said, additional information was provided by the university at a bidders’ conference on Oct. 10 and in responses to written questions posted online on Oct. 17 and Oct. 31. Proposals were due by Nov. 1 and objectively scored by a six-person team of UMaine and System professionals.