The University of Maine (UMaine) has denied Calvary Chapel Belfast’s appeal of the institution’s decision to sell the former Hutchinson Center to a non-profit organization after originally accepting the church’s bid.
On November 20, the church filed a formal appeal of the university’s decision to renege on their offer. UMaine’s response Monday argued that that there was “insufficient evidence” to “warrant overturning” their offer to sell to a non-profit organization.
Calvary Chapel Belfast filed a lawsuit against the school in late November after UMaine went back on their offer to sell the property to the church, alleging that the decision was reversed due to the “church’s scriptural beliefs on marriage and sexuality.”
Liberty Counsel — a self-described Christian ministry organization representing the Belfast church — argued that UMaine “unlawfully conspired and discriminated against the church on the basis of religion in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments.”
UMaine, on the other hand, has said that it changed it’s mind because the original evaluation criteria used “did not adequately allow for the full financial impacts of proposals to be considered,” particularly with respect to the internet access hub located at the site.
Housed within the Hutchinson Center is an internet access hub, strategically located such that it can help provide internet connectivity throughout the state.
Following a second request-for-proposals, UMaine announced that Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP) — a 501(c)3 funded almost entirely through taxpayer dollars — $3.06 million for the property, about half a million more than the appraised value of $2.52 million.
The Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee/Waterfall Arts offered $1.8 million for the property, and Calvary Chapel Belfast offered $1.1 million.
All three bidders agreed to lease the space currently housing an internet access center back to the University of Maine System (UMS) for five years at no cost.
[RELATED: Hutchinson Center Sold to Taxpayer-Funded Nonprofit After UMaine Renege’s on Church’s Offer]
WCAP intends to use the property as a community resource hub that houses the organization’s programs and serves as a community center.
Had their offer been accepted, Calvary Chapel Belfast intended to use the Hutchinson Center to house its addiction recovery efforts, as well as its homeschool co-op program.
In a press release published Monday, UMaine announced that it had upheld its decision to sell the property to WCAP despite Calvary Chapel Belfast’s appeal.
The decision letter sent to the church noted that the evaluation of the proposals “adhered to all applicable policies and procedures, ensuring a fair and transparent process for all respondents.”
UMaine also stated that the established protest process “is specific to the terms, conditions, and evaluation of the proposals submitted under this solicitation.”
Calvary Chapel Belfast now has the opportunity to file a second appeal of the university’s decision within ten days.
If the church opts to do so, the ruling by the UMS Vice Chancellor for Cinance and Administration would be final.
Maine is a very secular state.Mid-coast Maine especially so with elderly retirees from away that imported their steely and selfish views when they moved here. Hopefully that will change.I would expect no other outcome from the University of Maine.
UMaine is biased against Christians so they’ll always cave to wokeness
I hope they sue UMaine, discovery could be interesting.
Here’s what this really means. The University didn’t want a Christian ministry helping solve our addiction epidemic in there because it was Christian.
Every comment is exactly on the mark. UMaine is supposed to be ‘higher learning’ and behold discrimination and closed mindness is what Liberal-DemocRAT-Communists are all about.