SACO — A vacant city property could become a seaside attraction.

A nearly 1,900 square foot garage at 15 North Ave., has been vacant for nearly a year. The city-owned building, just footsteps from the beach in Camp Ellis, was once a fire station, and then for about 20 years was leased to a business.

The building has some water damage and needs repairs, said City Administrator Brian Kaenrath.

“It’s not in great shape, but it’s able to be rehabbed. It’s not a total loss,” he said at Monday night’s City Council meeting.

Kaenrath and Harbor Master Dan Chadbourne presented the City Council a proposal to use the former fire garage as a place for community activities.

“The city has an opportunity, having this building right there in the middle of all this, to create some sort of anchor or some sort of driver in the community that we could then use to further the renaissance of Camp Ellis,” said Kaenrath.

Chadbourne recalled decades ago when Christmas and Halloween parties, dances and variety shows were held at the former fire station.

“I know several people that got married in there, and it was still a fire barn, there were fire trucks there,” he said.

He would like to see it once again become a community hub, with space for meetings and recreational activities as well as educational displays on marine science and local history.

“I know this was years ago, but still some of this can happen down there,” said Chadbourne.

 

The empty shell of a former fire alarm box at 15 North Ave. in Saco. SBN STAFF/Liz Gotthelf

Chadbourne referenced the Wells Harbor shellfish building, a “mini-marine science center,” a place for research as well as community activity, including touch tanks and educational displays.

Chadbourne said he could keep costs down by recruiting volunteers to make the necessary repairs to the building.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity,” said City Councilor Michael Brennan.

He said he could envision college students getting involved in research opportunities and local schools going there for field trips to learn the history of Camp Ellis.

Councilor Joseph Gunn said he thought it was a “great, out of the box idea.”

Kaenrath said he was pleased by the positive response from the City Council.

“I think this is going to be a tremendous asset for the community down there, I think you have no one more passionate for projects like this, than this guy sitting next to me here who will take this and run with it,” he said, pointing to Chadbourne.

He said the community building coincided with current economic and community revitalization goals in the coastal community, and this year’s re-establishment of the Camp Ellis HarborFest.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.