Belfast residents balk at closing of UMaine’s Hutchinson Center

Courtesy / University of Maine Alumni Association The Hutchinson Center in Belfast closed permanently on Aug. 4.

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A group of Belfast-area residents is calling the University of Maine’s closure of its educational facility an “act of bad faith.”

“The Hutchinson Center still has strong local support despite the lack of course offerings,” the steering committee for the Future of the Belfast Hutchinson Center wrote in a statement.

The group includes Kim Fleming, director of Waterfall Arts, a nonprofit community arts center; Hutchinson Center’s first director, James Patterson; and City Councilor Michael Hurley.

The center, at 80 Belmont Ave., closed Aug. 4. In-person programs ended there as well.

UMaine 'remains committed'

According to a statement provided to Mainebiz by UMaine officials, the University of Maine System “remains committed to providing higher education services in Waldo County as we do throughout the entire state. We continue to offer degree and certificate programs, professional development opportunities and other quality offerings to all residents virtually, including those available through UMaineOnline, University of Maine Cooperative Extension and other programs.”

The Hutchinson Center has provided many services since UMaine opened it in 2000 in partnership with MBNA Corp., including classes, conferences, art galleries and offerings from Senior College. Bank of America donated the center property to UMaine in 2006.

Courtesy / University of Maine

The University of Maine System is evaluating options for the property.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the center’s programs and conferences transitioned into virtual formats that allowed residents in Belfast and across the state to continue learning and advancing their skill sets,” UMaine officials said. “Since then, the shift in preference for online learning, coupled with limited housing, led to a decrease in demand for in-person academic and professional development offerings.

"We and the leaders of the University of Maine System are evaluating several options for the center property in ways that align with system policies, and will allow it to continue serving Belfast and Waldo County residents,” officials said. “We have been and continue engaging with many stakeholders and are considering community needs in our evaluation.”

'Perfect' mid-state location

The Hutchinson Center is a relatively recent addition to the UMaine offerings.

It originated in an agreement between Charles Cawley, the founder and CEO of financial services company MBNA Corp., and University of Maine President Fred Hutchinson to build an educational resource for the region.

MBNA built the 15,000-square-foot facility on the site of a former chicken farm and leased the center to the university. The center opened in 2000 under Patterson’s directorship.

The goal was to bring classes and programs to midcoast residents.

“Participation and enrollment were robust, statewide conferences found a perfect mid-state location, special events flourished, and the center was soon a money-maker for the university,” according to the steering committee. “Opportunities for education and advancement for Belfast area residents were lifted dramatically.”

Cawley retired as CEO at the end of 2003. Bank of America bought MBNA in 2006 and soon after donated the property and complex to the University of Maine, “with the expectation that courses would be offered at the Hutchinson Center,” the committee said.

A new wing of the building subsequently added another 15,000 square feet, according to the university’s alumni association.

Built with university and private funds, the addition upgraded technology and expanded classroom space, science laboratories, offices, meeting spaces and an art gallery.

A hub of activity

The Hutchinson Center offered undergraduate, graduate, certificate and non-degree courses taught by UMaine faculty and associates, and hosted public seminars, conferences, exhibits and community gatherings.

More than 25,000 individuals attended a conference, cultural or community event in one recent year, drawing primarily from Waldo and Knox counties, according to the university. The center also advised over 350 students in the enrollment of live and distance courses.

“The recent announcement that UMaine Orono plans to close and sell the Hutchinson Center was the final act of bad faith by the university,” the committee said.

The committee said the center hosted a senior college that was “one of the largest and most successful in Maine” and remained active; along with events and conferences.

The donation of the center to the city was “supported by significant local fund raising, scholarship sponsorships and other gifts which made the Hutchinson Center the facility it is today,” the committee said.

The committee called a proposal by the university to sell the center “unacceptable” and said it would invite the community to get involved.