HAMPDEN - A local businessman is the new owner of a Coldbrook Roadathletic complex after a court-ordered auction Wednesday of thefinancially troubled property.
Harold Bouchard, chief executive officer of H.O. Bouchard truckingcompany, offered the winning bid of $275,000 for the Maine SportsComplex and its 9-acre property, saying he plans to maintain it as avenue for sporting events.
Known by some as the dome or the bubble for its air-inflatedshape, the 33,000-square-foot complex is used for indoor soccer,field hockey, lacrosse and other sports and recreational activities.
'Right now we plan on keeping the dome and running it,' he saidWednesday after the auction, standing in the facility's parking lot.
The auction was delayed briefly after organizers learned thatcomplex operator Pete Madigan filed for bankruptcy Wednesday morning,just hours before the afternoon auction was scheduled to take place.The filing was dismissed, however, from U.S. Bankruptcy Court inBangor and the auction continued as planned.
The complex's estimated debts total more than $500,000, accordingto court documents.
Madigan declined to comment on the sale Wednesday, except to wishBouchard luck with the complex and to express gratitude to people whouse the facility.
The complex and property, assessed at approximately $760,000, weresold to repay a Minnesota company and several local creditors,including H.O. Bouchard, who are owed thousands of dollars inmaterials and services.
Along with $35,000 in back property taxes, the $275,000 price tagincludes more than $12,000 owed to the trucking company for amortgage it holds on the property. Bouchard, whose company is locatedacross the road from the complex, sold the property on which the domenow sits to Madigan in 2001.
Bouchard also owns the land surrounding the complex.
Another creditor owed money is Yeadon Fabric Domes Inc. of St.Paul, Minn., the company that supplied the domelike structure thatencases the complex. Yeadon is owed approximately $100,000 for thestructure and another $15,000 in interest, but after Wednesday'sauction the company is slated to be repaid less than a third of thatamount, Jon Haddow, the local attorney representing Yeadon, saidWednesday.
Yeadon has an appeal pending in Maine Supreme Judicial Courtchallenging a previous court judgment that puts Yeadon among the lastcreditors to be repaid, Haddow said.
'We'll have to decide what to do next,' he said.
Other creditors listed in the lawsuit are Bangor Savings Bank,development consulting firm Kiser and Kiser Inc. of Hampden,construction business Harriman Bros. Inc. of Hampden and Maine-basedoil dealer R.H. Foster Inc.
Also listed is Gary Walker, a former complex employee who lastyear was awarded more than $50,000 in back pay, compensatory damagesand attorneys' fees as a result of his lawsuit against the complex.Walker said he was not paid for six months of work he performed undera contract with the facility.
With the right people managing the complex, it should be able toremain open to the area's youth for sports and activities, Bouchardsaid.
'We seem to do a pretty good job across the street,' he said.
