Bath Housing Development Corporation is beginning an asbestos remediation project at the Moses and Columbia Blocks in downtown Bath on Monday, April 13, 2020. RJ Enterprises out of Brunswick, Maine was the successful bidder. The project is made possible in part by grant funding provided by the Midcoast Economic Development District (MCCED), a recipient of a Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund capitalization grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Bath Housing Development Corporation acquired these properties in May 2019 to facilitate the preservation of the character of downtown Bath, encourage economic stimulus in the walkable central core, and maintain rental housing at modest prices for those that live and work in Bath.
As stewards of these properties, originally constructed around 1893 as the Columbia Theatre and the YMCA, Bath Housing has several short-term goals:
- Preserve the ten existing rental apartments as modestly priced housing in the heart of Bath.
- Maintain the ground level retail spaces with existing tenants as a vital part of Front Street in downtown Bath.
- Maximize the parking lot to help relieve parking pressure in downtown Bath.
- Conduct an initial round of improvements designed to make the building safer and healthier, while honoring the historic character of the buildings.
The asbestos remediation project is the first major investment in this property and is designed to make the buildings safer and healthier.
Bath Housing continues to explore long-term options for the property with the goal of historic renovation, addition of more residential apartments, and transitioning existing vacant spaces into occupied spaces to enliven the block and downtown.