Work on redeveloping the historic former South Portland armory could begin this summer after a zone change required for the project received final approval Monday from the City Council.

The council granted the zone change from a residential district to the new conditional armory zone, which means Priority Real Estate Group is now free to move forward with its plans for the facility.

Priority Real Estate purchased the armory, located at the foot of the Casco Bay Bridge, from the city in November. The company plans to restore the fac?ade, while redeveloping the property to include a gas station and convenience store, a cafe?/restaurant, business and professional office space, retail space and a meeting room for local nonprofit organizations.

The redevelopment plans also include a visitor’s center, bike racks, electric-vehicle charging stations, a gazebo, displays of public art and perhaps a farm stand or farmers market.

The Planning Board recommended that the council approve the zone change in a unanimous vote on March 10, and since then the new zoning has received approval on first reading.

In a prior interview Jim Howard, president of Priority Real Estate, told The Current his company is “trying to incorporate community uses” and help the armory remain in keeping with the neighborhood, which is why Howard has agreed to put the gas station, with five pumps, behind the armory and to restore the front fac?ade.

David Latulippe, vice president of real estate at Priority Real Estate, told the Planning Board that plans include tearing down the former drill hall, while also “celebrating, preserving and bringing this building back to life.”

Priority Real Estate has agreed not to attach any signage to the front of the armory and to take special care in terms of ensuring “continuity of design” with the Art Deco architectural features, he said.

The armory was built in 1941.

Priority Real Estate paid the city $700,000 for the property, and Howard said the redevelopment would cost about $4.5 million. His hope is to break ground on the project sometime this summer.

The city put the armory on the market in mid-June of 2014 after the failure of a movie sound stage company that was leasing the building. South Portland purchased the facility in 2006 for $650,000.

In November, outgoing Mayor Gerard Jalbert told the Current he was excited about the prospect of seeing the armory redeveloped.

“This is the type of economic development we want to see,” he said. “It will be great to get this property back on the tax rolls.”

In other action Monday, the council approved the purchase of two new buses for the City Bus Service.

The cost for the new buses, which will be built by the Gillig Corp., of Hayward, Calif., is $804,878, according to City Manager Jim Gailey.

In a memo to the council, Gailey said the new buses would replace two Orion buses, first put on the road in 2002, that are beyond their 12-year replacement cycle and that have been driven in excess of 500,000 miles.

The new buses will be diesel, and the city could take delivery in about 18 months, Gailey said.

The council also passed a resolution naming the week of May 18-24 Arbor Week in South Portland.

The rezoning of the South Portland armory development project received a final go-ahead Monday from the city. An artist’s rendering shows how the building will be repurposed into a mix of commercial and public uses.Courtesy image

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