ORONO, Maine — Fariba Dayhim still hasn’t settled on what she plans to do with the former St. Mary Catholic Church, but one thing is clear in the week since the Bangor doctor and her husband, Shahram Pourmomtaz, completed their purchase of the church and two other buildings on the site.
They’re planning to live there.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Dayhim said. “Hopefully, [the move will happen] by next week, and then we’ll work on the convent to make it livable.”
Dayhim said she and Pourmomtaz first will move into the building’s rectory, and they’ll then begin work on the rest of the 1.1-acre site at 89 Main St., which also includes the church building and a convent.
Dayhim and Pourmomtaz closed March 26 on the property, said ERA Dawson Bradford Co. Realtor Pauline Rock, and the buyers paid $355,000.
The 6,932-square-foot facility was listed in January for $450,000, according to homes.com. Earlier listings had the price at $500,000.
Pourmomtaz and Dayhim appeared on Jan. 25 in front of the Orono Town Council’s community development and operations committee. Councilors and Town Planner Evan Richert had an informal discussion during that meeting about zoning-change options for the site at the January meeting, but made no decisions.
St. Mary’s held its final Mass on Jan. 1, 2009. The Rev. Wilfred P. Labbe, St. Mary’s pastor, told the Bangor Daily News in late 2008 that the church’s heating system, foundation and stone facade need extensive repairs. He estimated at the time that repair costs could run from $500,000 to $1 million.
Dayhim said there are leaks in the steeples, which will be among the new owners’ first jobs in the building.
When the time comes that the church is ready for use, Dayhim said, her goal would be to maintain the building’s architectural elements while considering the University of Maine community in town.
“It has lots of potential,” she said. “I think something like culture and artistic venues will be more appropriate for the character of building. [We’re] not rushing into anything but we’re open to good suggestions.”