The city of South Portland has sold the vacant armory, located at the foot of the Casco Bay Bridge to a commercial real estate developer for $700,000, according to City Manager Jim Gailey.

He said the developer, Priority Real Estate Group in Topsham, plans to turn the building into a convenience store, cafe and gas station, while retaining the historic facade. In addition, Gailey said the developer plans to incorporate sustainable, environmentally friendly practices into the building and grounds.

The deal to sell the armory was given the Okay during an executive session held before the regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Monday, Nov. 17.

The Priority Real Estate website describes the company as a “commercial real estate investment and development” firm that has built, owns and manages more than $100 million of its own commercial real estate since 1998. Those holdings include professional and medical offices, educational facilities and retail, manufacturing and industrial space.

The company’s website also it is “well known for working closely with and managing the concerns of the community” when working on a project.

“Long before construction begins, we actively engage neighbors and businesses located near a future project and explain our plans and listen to any potential concerns. This dialogue is essential for a project to be well received into the community and for the planning process to go smoothly,” the website adds.

After Monday’s council meeting, outgoing Mayor Gerard Jalbert told the Current he is excited about the prospect of seeing the historic 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, which it hasn’t been since 1931.

Jalbert also said that the Priority Real Estate Group agreed to the city holding a fac?ade easement on the armory, which means that any redevelopment would require the exterior of the building keep its historic character.

In all, he said, “I think this is an excellent reuse and we will retain (the armory’s) historic nature.”

The armory has been on the market since mid-June, when the City Council authorized Gailey to move ahead with a direct sale of the building, which the city has owned since 2006.

The armory, formerly occupied by the Maine National Guard, was built in 1941 in the Art Deco style and its current assessed value is in the $400,000 range, according to city records. The building has received basic upkeep, but otherwise very little has been done to update it in the past 73 years.

The city originally purchased the armory for $650,000 following the bankruptcy of the Museum of Glass and Ceramics, which never managed to move into the building. The plan eight years ago was to possibly move City Hall operations to the armory, which is adjacent to the public safety building.

This past spring, Gailey said, the city had received many inquiries regarding the armory after the Fore River Sound Stage film company gave up its five-year lease in February.

Under the council vote in June, Gailey was given permission to take any action required to create a real estate listing for the armory, as well as the ability to review offers and execute a purchase and sales agreement.

With the termination of the Fore River Sound Stage lease, the zoning on the armory property reverted to a residential zone. However, in June, Gailey indicated the city would likely be willing to amend the zoning depending on the needs of the developer.

In addition to agreeing to protect the historic facade of the armory the Priority Real Estate website says, “After the completion of every (project), we donate $10,000 to area community organizations that support kids, provide heating assistance and address hunger prevention. In just the past few years, our contributions have totaled in excess of $300,000.”

This story has been updated to reflect the sale price and development plans

A development company from Topsham is buying the historic armory in South Portland.