SACO, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - An historic building downtown Saco has been saved from demolition.
The old fire station on Thornton Avenue had been sitting empty since April 2011 when the fire department moved out.
In August, the City Council first took up the issue of repurposing the vacant building. There were two options on the table: selling it or razing it and turning it into a parking lot.
Councilors voted not to sell it and decided to table the motion to demolish it.
On Monday night, after a weekend protest urging councilors to save the structure for it's historic integrity, councilors revisited the idea of selling it.
The Council voted 7-0 to sell the building to Housing Initiative of New England for $100,000.
Housing Initiative will now pay property taxes on the building. The group has also pledged to put up to $1.2 million in upgrades into the building.
The next and final step is for the City Administrator to sign off on the paperwork.
NEWS CENTER