Private school plans move into Peck Building in downtown Lewiston

Exterior view of Peck building in downtown Auburn

Photo / Courtesy Porta & Co. A search committee for a private Catholic high school identified the Peck Building in downtown Lewiston as move-in ready.

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By Laurie Schreiber

Downtown Lewiston's Peck Building will be renovated to become a private Catholic high school for up to 200 students.

Saint Dominic Regional High School was founded in 1941 as part of Saint Dominic Academy in Auburn. But the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland closed the academy’s high school division this past spring.

After that, a group of alumni, families, educators and civic leaders worked to identify a suitable location for the high school as an independent private entity in the Catholic tradition, unaffiliated with the academy and the diocese.

They found what they wanted at the Peck Building, at 184 Main St. in downtown Lewiston.

Photo / Courtesy Porta & Co.

The Class A office building totals 67,392 square feet on four stories. The school is leasing about 30,000 square feet on two stories.

Owned by Auburn's former mayor, Jason Levesque, the Class A office building totals 67,392 square feet on four stories.

The school’s lease is for more than 30,000 square feet on two stories. The space includes classroom-ready layouts, a fitness room, locker rooms, cafeteria space, technology infrastructure and direct access to an attached parking garage.

Safety features include fob-operated elevator access, a comprehensive camera system and updated fire and security protections.

Search criteria

Search priorities included building and operational readiness and room for growth.

The Peck Building dates back to 1893 and once housed the state’s first and largest department store, B. Peck & Co., followed by an L.L.Bean call center.

Levesque bought the building through his firm Aegean Development LLC in 2019.

The building was selected by the search committee because it gives the school “the fastest, smartest path to reopening,” allowing it to launch quickly without spending money on unnecessary demolition or new construction, a spokesperson for the school told Mainebiz.

The layout supports flexible classrooms, academic expansion and future build-outs as enrollment increases. There’s existing infrastructure for technology, fitness, cafeteria operations and student life.

Renovation timeline

Because the space already meets many baseline needs, renovations focus on safety compliance and optimizing academic and community areas. The goal is to complete the initial phase in time for a fall 2026 reopening. Additional classroom expansions can be added over time as enrollment grows.

Startup expenses are projected at $1.8 million, including the facility lease and construction, furniture and fixtures, equipment, technology and interim administrative costs.

Photo / Courtesy Porta & Co.

The space includes classroom-ready layouts.

Funding will come through philanthropic support, early enrollment commitments, fundraising and community partnerships. The model is designed to be sustainable to minimize upfront construction costs, prioritize a stable long-term lease and leverage early community momentum.

Next steps include planning renovations that prioritize safety and academic needs, launching faculty recruitment and opening enrollment this month. The space provides capacity for up to 200 students.

Affordability

Shortly after the closure, a nonprofit board formed to consider how to continue the high school. The board considered other site options, including another former Catholic building in Lewiston, a TD Bank call center in the Auburn Mall, the former Liberty Mutual building on Route 196 and a few options on Mollison Way in Lewiston, according to the school’s website.

The Peck Building was the only option that offered both the core infrastructure and build-out affordability needed in order to start the school by the fall of 2026, the school said.

While Peck is a historic building, extensive renovations carried out by L.L.Bean in the last few decades meant the interior space could be designed to the school’s needs.

The space will allow for expansion for up to 200 students over the next five to seven years.

The plan is to build six to eight classrooms in the first year, including a dedicated science and art lab, along with administrative offices and common areas. There is already a dedicated cafeteria space, with the opportunity to build out to a full-service kitchen in the coming year. The plan is to utilize a catering-kitchen model in our first year to allow for hot-lunch options.

The first and fourth floors have other tenants. The school said it will restrict access to its second and third floors via elevator fobs and hard-wired fire doors from the stairwells. An adjacent parking garage offers direct “buzz-in” access to the school’s second-floor reception area.

The board said it is working with architects and code enforcement officers to plan the retrofit. Build-out is expected to occur between this coming February through July. The lease officially starts Feb. 1, 2026.

The board has launched a capital campaign to raise $2 million for startup costs. The first hire will be a head of school, with additional hires to follow.

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