Androscoggin DA's office moving to Peck Center
May 16—AUBURN — The Androscoggin County District Attorney's Office will be moving to the third floor of the Peck Center in Lewiston.
Following an executive session Wednesday night, the Androscoggin County Commission unanimously voted to use American Rescue Plan Act funding to purchase the third floor of the iconic building at 184 Main St.
The purchase price, which will not be revealed until contracts are signed, includes dozens of parking spaces in the adjacent parking garage for staff and clients.
A timetable for when the DA's office will move from its current and troubled home at 55 Lisbon St. to the Peck Center has not been determined.
Located in the heart of downtown Lewiston at the intersection of Lisbon and Main streets, the four-story building built in 1899 originally housed B. Peck & Co., the area's flagship department store for more than 80 years before it closed in 1981. L.L.Bean then operated a call center in the building for 32 years before closing it in 2021 during the pandemic.
Former Auburn Mayor Jason Levesque purchased the building from L.L.Bean in 2019.
"It's an iconic building in Lewiston, so critical to our past, (our) present," Levesque said in a 2019 interview. "I'm kind of honored to be that caretaker for that building. The whole property, actually."
Most recently, the building served as the location for the Maine Resiliency Center, following the Oct. 25, 2023, mass shooting in Lewiston. The center provided free community connection, support and resources to those impacted by the shooting.
The eventual move ends the sad saga of the DA's current office space.
In January, commissioners voted to stop paying the $4,500 monthly rent for use of the second floor at 55 Lisbon St. until the chronic issues with the building are resolved. The building is adjacent to the 8th District Court.
Problems include an elevator that has not worked since the fall of 2022, roof leaks and, earlier this year, the building had no electricity for four consecutive days.
Other issues with the building during the past few months include a door-locking system not working. Last week, a dumpster fire in the back of the building nearly forced the evacuation of the office due to fumes.
The county has rented space in the building for about eight years.
Built in 1921, the three-story structure is also home to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins' regional office on the first floor. The third floor is vacant.
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