Rockland may relocate City Hall to downtown

The Rockland City Council is considering buying a new building to house City Hall.

At its July 8 meeting, the council will determine a public hearing date for considering borrowing the money to purchase the structure, which is the Bok building at 22 White St. in downtown.

The building currently houses Pen Bay Walk-in and Primary Care, which is affiliated with Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport. Their parent group, MaineHealth, sold the Bok building to a developer last year , according to MaineBiz. The clinic is currently renting the space while determining a new location for its practice.

The purchase price for the building is not yet available, but City Manager Tom Luttrell told The Courier-Gazette that it will be by the July 8 meeting.

Rockland has been trying to move its city hall to downtown since the 1990s, according to the Gazette. Voters rejected a $350,000 bond in 1991 to buy the building, and the City Council again announced its interest in 2019.

The city bought the building and property on which City Hall currently sits — at 270 Pleasant St. — in October 1995 for $800,000 from Camden and Rockland Water Co., the Gazette reported. The building and property are valued at $1.5 million, and Luttrell told the paper that its sale would offset the cost to buy and repair the Bok building.

If the deal goes forward, City Hall could be relocated to 22 White St. within two years, according to the Gazette.