UPDATE: University of Maine chooses Calvary Chapel Belfast to be new owners of Hutchinson Center
BELFAST — A letter was sent just before 6 p.m. Aug. 14 to at least one organization that was bidding on ownership of the Hutchinson Center in Belfast, informing it that the award was going to a competitive bidder, the Calvary Chapel Belfast, a church currently located at 189 Lincolnville Ave, in Belfast.
The letter was written to the Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee and Waterfall Arts, which was working with the City of Belfast to secure ownership of the former UMaine satellite university campus known as the Hutchinson Center, or even more familiarly, “the Hutch.”
Greg Huston, Pastor of the Calvary Chapel Belfast, spoke from his backyard around 7:30 p.m. in a message he relayed on Facebook to the public.
“I did want to let you all know something we have praying for, hoping for, and that is we've been asking the Lord that the University of Maine would accept our offer for the Hutchinson Center and tonight the university reached out to us and confirmed they are going to accept our offer and that's to be the future home of Calvary Chapel Belfast, our church home,” he said.
Huston continued: “We are going to run our school out of that and do so many things. To summarize, we’re going to use that facility that was intended for education to continue educating people, but particularly in the things of the Lord. We are going to use that building to serve God and people. It is going to be full all week long with events and special events. It is going to be amazing to see all that happens in the coming years and all that's going to go on there.”
He said in his Facebook address that: “Already, we’ve been told there are some negative thoughts to us having it and church in general. I would say to that person, give us a shot, come visit us in church sometime and see what we are doing. I think the community can expect great things. We want to honor the legacy of the University of Maine.”
The email from the university’s Strategic Procurement office to the Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee said: “The purpose of this communication is to notify you that the University of Maine System (“University”) is awarding to Calvary Chapel Belfast the right to negotiate terms and conditions for RFP 2024-048, RFP 2024-048, University of Maine, Hutchinson Center Real Estate Offer because it produced the top-scoring response. We thank you for taking the time to provide a response and participate in the RFP.”
On Aug. 15, the Calvary Chapel Belfast sent the following statement, along with an outline of its intent for use of the Hutchinson Center. The latter is attached as a PDF.
There is an appeal period of five days, the university said.
“This award notice does not constitute an agreement and does not obligate the University to enter into any agreement with the awardee or any other vendor,” the letter said. “Any actual contract executed by the University pursuant to the RFP is contingent on the ability of the parties to reach agreement on final terms and conditions and approval by the initiative sponsor. The University will proceed with the present award so long as it determines, in its sole discretion, that doing so is in the best interest of the University.
“There is a standard five business day appeal process where Respondents may appeal the award decision by submitting a written protest to the University of Maine System’s Executive Director of Strategic Procurement and Services (EDSPS). The protest must be received by the EDSPS within five (5) business days of the date of this award notice. A copy of any protest will be provided to the awardee.”
In an Aug. 15 news release, the university confirmed that there were three proposals submitted: one from Calgary Chapel Belfast, and the other two from Waldo County Community Action Partners and Friends of the Hutchinson Center/Waterfall Arts.
“Per long-standing University of Maine System (UMS) policy, the proposals will not be made public and the university can not comment further until the expiration of a five-business-day appeal period and the review of any appeals, which must be submitted in writing by an organization whose offer was not selected by 5 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 21,” the release said.
“UMaine/UMS would then negotiate a final agreement with Calvary Chapel Belfast, which was established in 2008 and rented space at the Hutchinson Center from 2017-2020.”
According to the news release, “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.”
The university said the percentage of degree-seeking UMS students from Waldo County has remained consistent over the past six years.
“Beyond enrollment of local students at its campuses in Orono and Machias, free early college programs at all high schools in the county, area employer partnerships and online offerings, UMaine continues to have a presence in the region including through its Cooperative Extension Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center in Lincolnville,” it said.
The Hutchinson Center sale is consistent with a commitment in the new UMS strategic plan to achieve fiscal and energy efficiencies by selling or leasing buildings and land that are unused or underutilized, the university said.
Samantha Warren, director of External Affairs at the university, said July 16: “Because the university did not list with a commercial broker and instead issued a request for proposals, no asking price has been set for the Hutchinson Center. You can view that RFP here. I would again note that the university still owes $885,000 toward a $4.3 million expansion undertaken in 2007-09 and the facility has been valued at $2.52 million.”
The evangelical Calvary Chapel Belfast congregation believes, according to its website, in, “one church, which is not a physical building, but is universally made up of all true believers in Jesus Christ, who are the ‘ekklesia’ (Greek form of blibical word church), or the group of people who are called out for the special purpose of following Christ....”
Since August 2023, the future of the Hutchinson Center, which includes a 30,500-square-foot main building, a 1,960-square-foot barn and 11.6 acres, has been point of concern for Belfast and the Midcoast.
At their regular meeting July 15 in Orono, the University of Maine System Board of Trustees voted unanimously to allow the University of Maine to sell the Frederick Hutchinson Center, named for University of Maine President Emeritus Frederick E. Hutchinson.
The Center had, for the prior 23 years, served as a higher-level educational campus to the Midcoast. The Hutchinson Center, the “Hutch”, as it is sometimes called, closed in 2023 as the university began divesting real estate assets in various parts of the state.
In early February, the Belfast-based Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee submitted a proposal to the University of Maine in response to UMaine’s Request for Proposals that circulated January 17.
While the initial deadline was February 5, on Friday, February 2, UMaine issued an addendum that delayed the submittal deadline to March 29, “in response to community feedback.” The Committee had not requested that the deadline be extended, according to a news release from the Committee.
The Committee’s proposal, made in partnership with the City of Belfast, proposed: “...that the University of Maine commit to working with the Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee and the City of Belfast to find a mutually acceptable means of transferring ownership of the Hutchinson Center to the local community. This is the best solution for the citizens of Belfast and Mid-Coast Maine and particularly, we believe, for the University.”
The committee had circulated a public petition advocating transfer of the Center’s ownership from UMaine to the local community. The petition received over 1,000 positive responses through February 1.
In March, a Maine Legislative committee killed a bill proposing that transfer.
UMaine issued a competitive request for purchase, lease or creative alternative proposals (RFP) and received multiple offers to buy the property. UMaine’s RFP can be read here.
According to a July 15 news release; “The Hutchinson Center sale is consistent with a commitment in the new UMS strategic plan to achieve fiscal and energy efficiencies by selling or leasing buildings and land that are unused or underutilized, typically because of demographic and higher education delivery changes. More than one-third of the System’s student credit hours are now earned online.
“Property transfers generate savings necessary to maintain affordable UMS education for students and allow the System’s limited financial resources to be focused on improving essential infrastructure.
“Recent sales have also enabled university assets to be repurposed for community benefit or be returned to the tax rolls to generate needed revenue for municipalities. In June, the University of Maine at Presque Isle sold its Houlton Higher Education Center to an area nonprofit that provides services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. Earlier this year, the University of Maine at Augusta sold four undeveloped acres to BangorHousing, making way for 50 new units of needed affordable senior housing.
“Already in 2024, Trustees have also approved the sale or listing of properties in Harmony, Presque Isle and Portland.”
In its Aug. 15 news release, the university said: “Property transfers generate savings necessary to maintain affordable UMS education for Maine students, ensure the System’s limited financial resources are focused on improving essential infrastructure and allow assets to be repurposed for community benefit. For example, already this year the University of Maine at Presque Isle has sold its Houlton Higher Education Center to an area nonprofit that provides services to individuals with intellectual disabilities and the University of Maine at Augusta sold four undeveloped acres to BangorHousing to make way for 50 new units of needed affordable senior housing.”
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