The University of Maine at Farmington plans to sell several properties, including 147 Farmington Falls Road in Farmington. Rebecca Richard/Franklin Journal
FARMINGTON — The University of Maine System (UMS) Board of Directors will discuss important decisions regarding the University of Maine at Farmington *(UMF) properties at its Sept. 15 meeting in Farmington. UMS Director of External Relations Samantha Warren highlighted proposals to sell several UMF properties as part of a strategic plan to improve financial sustainability and operational efficiency.
Properties for sale include a building and lot at 147 Farmington Falls Road, two vacant lots at 289 Middle Street and Johnson Heights/Granite Heights, and a yet-to-be-determined underutilized residential building. These sales are expected to occur in 2025.
This initiative is part of a broader UMS strategy aimed at focusing resources on the university’s core mission of providing high-quality education and support services, Warren said.
The Finance, Facilities and Technology (FFT) Committee of the UMS Board of Trustees approved motions to authorize the sale of these properties on June 26. The approved sales are expected to provide significant financial benefits, including operating savings and funds for the construction of a new 6,500-square-foot facilities management building on campus, which is expected to cost up to $600,000. This will result in a net reduction of 11,000 square feet in built-up area and save UMF at least $35,000 in operating costs annually.
“These sales are not just about financial gain; they also represent our commitment to responsible stewardship of the university’s resources,” Warren said, noting the board’s commitment to transparency and community engagement throughout the process.
The University of Maine at Farmington plans to sell properties, including 147 Farmington Falls Rd. in Farmington. Rebecca Richard/Franklin Journal
“In line with this, the transfer of these properties, if approved, will generate new revenue and cost savings necessary for our system to maintain affordability for our students, create new opportunities for local communities and, importantly, invest our limited resources in infrastructure essential to recruiting and retaining students and fulfilling our mission for Maine,” Warren added.
“In some cases, these transfers put valuable properties back on the local tax rolls, providing important revenue to Maine communities,” Warren said. “In other cases, these buildings and land are repurposed in a way that meets the needs of the community, such as the system’s earlier sale of undeveloped land in Bangor to build 50 affordable senior housing units.”
Other projects were addressed at the FFT committee’s June meeting, including the sale of the Frederick Hutchinson Center in Belfast and several University of Maine investment projects focused on workforce development and research in sustainable aquaculture and food innovation. These changes are aimed at making better use of physical space due to changes in demographics and the way education is delivered, with over a third of the system’s credit hours now earned online.
According to a blog post on maine.edu, UMaine attempted to increase use of the Belfast Center by expanding promotions and offering more academic courses and conference bookings. Despite these efforts, however, the university decided to close the facility and only put out a request for proposals for purchase, lease or creative alternative proposals when it became clear that continuing to operate the center was not financially viable.
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