BRUNSWICK
The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority is poised to sign a lease with a new tenant.
Living Nutz, which sells and distributes raw and organic nuts, has an interest in leasing 4,200 square feet at Building 51, 119 Orion St. The MRRA Property Committee recently endorsed the proposed transaction.
If the company arrives, it would be the 25th to start operating at the former base, according to MRRA data.
Property Committee Chairman Steve Weems told the board Wednesday that Living Nutz wishes to purchase the building once it is formally confered to the authority from the U.S. Navy.
Living Nutz produces certified organic raw nuts sold in more than 125 U.S. retail outlets, according to Property Committee memos. Weems said the Property Committee is moving ahead with the lease.
In other business, Weems told the board the Brunswick School Department may build a new maintenance garage at the former base, and is proposing to lease land for that purpose at 47 Orion St.
That deal could be formalized as early as September, but school board members also meeting Wednesday said that scenario is on hold pending other, more pressing facil- ities needs.
Weems told the board a current Brunswick Landing tenant, New England Tent & Awning, wants to take up additional space at the base for cold storage. The business currently operates out of 111 Orion St.; the facility it is considering is a former recycling plant at 180 Orion St.
MRRA board members also heard Wednesday about various scenarios to trim utility costs that threaten to spiral out of control at the former base.
Engineers from Wright- Pierce have determined the authority is sending more water to the town treatment plant than it is using — which indicates an infiltration of other water into the system that is costing upward of $200,000 to treat, Weems said.
Regarding electricity, Weems outlined numerous options for entering into new energy purchase contracts with Constellation Energy and estimating costs of buying power from a new anaerobic digester to be built on the base in the coming months.
Board members also were briefed on a plan to open new access to the base from the gate at Route 123.
That move is on hold until speed limits can be designated, which must be done in consultation with the town and state Department of Transportation, and perhaps could be finalized after the September board meeting.
MRRA Executive Director Steve Levesque also said requests have been made to open access to the property from the Purington gate; however, the Navy still owns that parcel. With the Navy’s approval, Levesque said he would “absolutely” approve opening that access.
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