Greenville selectmen updated on projects

GREENVILLE – A potential tenant of the proposed business incubator to be constructed in Greenville met with local officials this week.

Although the name of the interested party was not released, Town Manager John Simko told selectmen Wednesday that a business is interested in the building and quite possibly could become the anchor tenant. “They hopefully will make a proposal to us,” he said.

Work has begun in preparation for the construction of the $1 million incubator. The town manager said the installation of water and sewer lines to the site near Greenville Steam Co. should be completed this week.

The incubator project provides technical help and space to startup businesses that will become strong enough to stand on their own and grow in the community to provide more jobs.

A second large building project involving the town also is inching along. Simko said that much of the groundwork for the construction of a $376,000 municipal building is complete and part of the footing for the perimeter of the building is in place. The foundation is expected to be finished by Aug. 30.

Some unexpected changes have been made in the project plans for the municipal building, according to Simko.

The mechanical room, which had been proposed in a sub-basement under the police department, will be placed either in part of a storage room adjacent to the town manager’s office or in a small addition to the building.

The town also will have to install a perimeter drain system around the foundation and a drainage outlet into Minden Stream to handle storm runoff.

Even with these changes, Simko said the project is within budget because other changes have lowered the costs. For example, the town will connect to the main water and sewer lines instead of digging up the road to make new connections.

Simko said environmental planning and permitting in regards to Minden Stream, which is adjacent to the construction project, continues.

The town’s engineer has devised a conceptual plan for channeling the stream and creating a series of plunge pools to control high-volume runoff and to capture silt before it enters Moosehead Lake.

A meeting with abutting landowners to the stream, the project engineer and Department of Environmental Protection officials will be held at 9 a.m. Aug. 27.

Selectmen also received a brief update on the airport snow-removal equipment building project.

Simko said the project is moving along “nicely.” The footings and the walls are in place, he said.