UMS trustees OK land swap concept

BANGOR – A proposed property exchange between the University of Maine System and the city of Bangor moved a step closer Monday when the UMS board of trustees voted unanimously to approve the concept and to authorize Chancellor Joseph Westphal to commit to an agreement once details are worked out.

In the exchange, which was announced last week, the city would get three buildings and land adjacent to the city’s Maine Business Enterprise Park on Maine Avenue near the airport, while UMS would relocate and consolidate its offices – and about 120 people – to the historic W.T. Grant building in downtown Bangor.

Both sides have hailed the proposal as a way to stimulate the local economy.

Just as the system considers the quality of students’ dormitories important, “we want to make sure there’s the same respect for the quality of [the staff’s] work environment,” Westphal said during Monday’s trustees’ meeting at the system office in Bangor.

“Part of the relocation is about moving into the 21st century,” he said, noting that the current offices are outdated and overcrowded.

The cost of upgrading technological systems is prohibitive and there’s not enough space for meetings, the chancellor said, pointing out the jam-packed conference room where there was standing room only and chairs lined the wall.

“The question becomes do we invest in … a World War II wooden building on land adjacent to the [airport] runway – where you can hardly hear yourself think? We think we can get a good plan and make better use of resources so we can bring people together and conduct meetings in a better environment,” he said.

There would be no exchange of money and renovations to the Grant building – which would be paid for by the city – would be factored into the swap.

Also as part of the proposal, the system hopes to negotiate reserved spaces in the parking garage for the 120 employees who would work downtown.

Details are still being worked out, including appraising the properties, estimating the costs of renovations and ironing out transfer procedures. The Bangor City Council could tentatively take up the proposal Nov. 24.

UMS Chief Financial Officer Joanne Yestramski told the group Monday that it was too early to nail down the costs of operating out of the new offices or of providing furnishings.

The system no longer would need to pay for snow removal, grass mowing and maintaining the parking lot, she pointed out. Also, the downtown building will be more efficient to heat, she said.

The UMS buildings and property were acquired from the U.S. Department of Education, which took ownership following the closing of Dow Air Force Base in 1968.