ROCKLAND, Maine — The replacement of streetlights is among the downtown projects to be considered next week by city councilors.
Councilors are scheduled to meet Monday evening with the owner of several downtown buildings, who will be asking to use tax increment financing funds to help pay for planned improvements on one of his Main Street properties.
The council is scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. Monday at city hall with Richard Rockwell, who bought the four-story brick building at 435 Main St. in November 2013. Rockwell plans to create an indoor market in the building that had been the longtime home of “The Store.”
Rockwell also owns the Hewett Block at 449 Main St., which he purchased in August 2008 from Barry Faber. Rockwell spent about $1.5 million to renovate that block. He also purchased and renovated a three-story apartment building at 5 Granite St.
Details of what will be discussed were not available Wednesday. Mayor Frank Isganitis said there was a letter from Rockwell to the city manager and referred questions to the manager. Interim City Manager Tom Luttrell was out of the office Wednesday, and city hall will be closed until Monday.
A telephone message left Wednesday morning at Rockwell’s office in northern New Jersey was not immediately returned. Rockwell has longstanding ties to Rockland. His grandparents were Samuel and Pauline Zwecker, who owned the Port Clyde sardine company.
On Monday, councilors also will discuss spending money on a trio of downtown projects. A vote on those projects, however, is not scheduled until Dec. 8.
The largest planned expenditure would be $190,000 to replace downtown streetlights from the General Berry Square at the intersection with Water Street to as far north as Cottage Street.
The current streetlights are owned by Central Maine Power, and Rockland makes payments for leasing them. The replacement streetlights would be owned by the city.
Money will come from funds generated from the downtown tax increment financing district over the past several years.
Another proposed expenditure to be voted on Dec. 8 is for $37,000 to pay for the balance of the first phase of upgrades to the Thorndike parking lot. The money would help replace the Tillson Avenue sidewalk adjacent to the Thorndike building. This also would come from downtown TIF money.
The council also will consider spending $36,000 from Fisher Engineering TIF money for a walking trail along the harbor on Mechanic and Atlantic streets.
The Thorndike parking project and new sidewalks downtown have been the target of criticism over the past year, with several residents arguing the council spends too much money on downtown projects and ignores the infrastructure needs of the remainder of the community.