Marble Block in downtown Biddeford is sold

BIDDEFORD — A historic building in the city’s downtown has changed hands.

The Marble Block Redevelopment Corp has sold the Marble Block building at 129 Main St. to brothers Luke and Bryan Holden, executives of Luke’s Lobster seafood purchasing and production business.

The building sold for $400,000. Luke and Bryan Holden were not available for comment by press time.

The Marble Block was sold to community arts non-profit Engine for $1 by the R.H. Reny Company in 2011. A few years later, Marble Block Redevelopment Corp, a non-profit formed to redevelop the property for Engine, took over ownership of the property.

Engine is located at 163 Main St. It provides affordable studio space for artists, offers programs for both adults and children and has a digital frabrication lab, a gallery and a dark room

The Marble Block is an 18,000 square foot building with a marble façade. It is described on the Engine website as “rare Italianate architecture circa 1880s.”

The initial plan was to rehabilitate the building and create a creativity hub with art studios, exhibition areas, educational space and a retail shop. However, the scope of work needed to remodel and maintain the building and make necessary structure repairs and the capital campaign needed to make it all happen were too much for the organization.

“It’s a really challenging space,” said Engine Director Jess Muise. “We have to be realistic about our resources and our mission.”

Though the gift was not used as originally intended, the sale of the building will give Engine financial security so it can continue to carry out its mission, said Muise.

Marble Block Redevelopment Corp. announced the recent sale on Facebook and in the post, said it hopes that Engine can be a tenant in the building in the future.

“The Marble Block is a gem of a property, positioned to become a jewel of the downtown community. We can't wait to see what the Holdens do with it,” wrote the Marble Block Redevelopment Corp.

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