Lewiston finds buyer for Bollinger building

A Seattle-area developer is buying the decaying, historic building on Normal Hill that previously housed the Lewiston Civic Theatre for $130,000.

Lewiston’s city council unanimously approved a resolution Monday authorizing the mayor and city clerk to proceed with the agreement for the purchase by Myron Gemmer.

A recreational center for seniors is one of the possibilities Gemmer is considering for the building at 805 Sixth Ave., said Gary Bergen, the Realtor for the Silvercreek Real Estate Group representing the city of Lewiston in the deal.

Gemmer was already on his way to Lewiston on Monday with a couple of members of his crew to assess the property, said Bergen, who previously told the council Gemmer has experience with older buildings.

“He’s given some ideas,” he said. “At this time, he’s looking at more like a senior center-type thing, not necessarily a place to live, but a place for seniors to go, whether it’s to have somebody just to talk, if it’s an activity kind of thing, something like that. That’s kind of what he’s wanting to do. But nothing is set in stone.”

Two city councilors made comments during the brief meeting.

“I can certainly speak to the fact that I would like this to be off the city’s books as soon as possible,” said Councilor Hannah Liedkie.

The sale to Gemmer is a good direction, said Councilor Kassee Forsmann.

“I’m excited we found someone that’s interested,” Forsmann said. “I’m excited to see what he plans to do with it. The (senior center) sounds cool. So hopefully that would be something and it would help those that are in the valley that need something to do.”

Mayor Dan Johnson praised Bergen for his work on the transaction.

“We appreciate your effort in this, in helping us move forward,” Johnson said.

The sale includes all building fixtures as well as any easements or rights of way, according to the purchase agreement.

Five paragraphs in the purchase agreement under the heading “Physical Condition of the Property” are in capital letters and specify the property, which the city calls the Anne Bollinger Performing Arts Center, is being sold as is.

The city has been wrestling with what to do with the aging building for years.

Completed in 1907 as a Methodist Church, the building transitioned to a theater in 1972. Hundreds of plays were staged at the venue. It is also believed to be the site of the unsolved 1982 murder of two young women and possibly a young man, who went missing and has never been found.

In 2016, the discovery of a failing truss supporting the roof prompted the city to list the building as condemned.

When the building’s tenant, the Civic Theatre, didn’t have the funds to make repairs, the building was turned over to the city in 2017.

The city completed a project in 2018 that stabilized the roof truss with temporary columns, repaired major leaks and covered the windows and stained glass. The building is no longer listed as condemned, but is still considered unsafe.

No one bid last year in a month-long auction for the building, in which the minimum bid was $67,000.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.