LINCOLN – After acquiring several properties, Lincoln is ready to take the next steps in restoring the downtown area destroyed by two devastating fires in January.

Town Manager Glenn Aho said the town soon will be seeking the services of an economic developer. Currently, Lincoln is seeking bids for the construction of a gazebo and for an engineer to design a lake walk.

“I’m really excited because things are now on the upswing,” said Aho. “This fall people will start to see Steve Rhul rebuild his building. Next spring we will start the town’s projects of replacing sidewalks, planting trees along Main Street, developing MacEachern-Lee Rush park by building a 28-foot community gazebo overlooking beautiful Mattanawcook Lake and working with our developer.”

In the last few months, Lincoln has purchased four Main Street properties at a total cost of $224,800. Buildings on three of the four properties were destroyed by the January fires.

The properties were purchased with various state and federal grant money. They include the former Lake Mall for $55,800, the Natalie Parent lot for $20,000, the Gene Ayer lot for $36,000 and the land and building owned by Harry Epp for $113,000. This week public works crews tore down the Epp building.

Tax Assessor Ruth Birtz said the town worked with property owners to come up with a purchase price that represented fair market value. Because the properties were purchased with grant funds, she said state officials reviewed and approved the prices.

Aho said the Ayer property purchase was the final piece. “The whole restore Lincoln project has been on hold while we waited to purchase this important property,” he said. “Without it, we would have needed to change our whole concept of restoring Lincoln.”

He said the Epp and Parent properties would be used to provide additional public parking. He said even before the January fires destroyed the former Lake Mall and Ayer buildings, parking had been a problem. “We needed this extra space to create some extra parking spaces to help retail thrive at that end of Main Street,” said the manager.

Aho said the town will hire an economic developer to assist in marketing the former Lake Mall and Ayer properties.

“It’s our goal to sell the properties to private interests who will then develop the site into retail or office space or a combination of both,” said the manager. “When all is said and done, our goal is that Lincoln’s Main Street tax base will be tripled.”