Will dropping the price attract a buyer for the former Wiscasset Primary School?  Selectmen hope so.

They lowered the price another $70,000 after touring the building Monday evening. They also renewed their contract with real estate agent Sherri Dunbar of Dunham Realty for another year. The property’s new price is $525,000.

Dunbar said it was originally listed at $749,000. Selectmen have previously reduced the price, first to $649,000 then $595,000.

Over the past year, there have been several interested parties, but so far no takers. One was considering establishing a charter school, another a holistic health spa and healing center.

For several months a portion of the building was leased to Lincoln County Healthcare for training. The lease expired in May.

“We need to market this building as an assisted living facility,” Chairman Judy Colby commented during the tour. “It just seems like this would be an ideal building to use for that purpose.”

Dunbar led Colby and selectmen Judy Flanagan, Jeff Slack and David Cherry around the building. Selectman Ben Rines Jr. was unable to attend. The 40-minute tour included both wings of the building, the former classrooms, gymnasium, basement and office area.

“There’s a lot of cosmetic stuff that needs to be addressed but there doesn’t appear to be any structural issues,” Cherry commented.

“The gymnasium offers a wonderful place for presentations,” Slack said.

The visit was nostalgic for Flanagan, who once worked there as the school’s librarian.

The building has been vacant since it closed in 2015. A burst pipe later caused some minor water damage in the building’s north wing; repairs were made. The building still contains a good deal of cabinetry, desks, chairs, tables and other fixtures left behind when the school department vacated it. Other odds and ends are being stored in the basement.

Town Manager Marion Anderson said the two-story building sits on about nine-plus acres.

Dunbar said the property continues to attract interest. The building has over 55,000 square feet of floor space, 50 rooms, 20 bathrooms along with a gym/cafeteria and two large parking lots. It’s being marketed as a possible location for a medical building, assisted living facility, office building or condominiums.

Selectmen hope a lower price will prompt a sale before the cold weather sets in, saving the town the expense of having to heat the building through the winter. The vote was 4-0 in favor of  the new price.