NORWAY — The Board of Selectmen on Thursday will sign the bond anticipation note to partially fund the rehabilitation of the first floor of the Norway Opera House.

The decision to proceed with the financing of the $1.1 million rehabilitation project was made last month after Gov. Paul LePage gave the board written assurance that the $400,000 Communities for Maine’s Future grant would be issued by June 21, 2015.

“This $400,000 is temporary funding,” Town Manager David Holt said  Wednesday. “Hopefully it will all be repaid by the state of Maine.”

Holt said the board made the decision to take the risk that the governor will hold true to his word about issuing the bond because the project was so far along.

“If we didn’t, we’d lose the tax credits that are more than $400,000,” he said. “We made the tough decision to go ahead.”

In June, LePage stunned towns that had been awarded grants for revitalization projects when he delayed authorizing the $3.5 million in funds from the Communities for Maine’s Future bond until at least 2014. The money was part of a $25 million community development bond approved by Maine voters in 2010.

The town recently transferred ownership of the Opera House to the nonprofit Norway Opera House Corp.

Dennis Gray of the NOHC said Wednesday that while the town finalizes the bond anticipation note, the corporation is in the process of working with the general contractor to revise the scope of the project based on the amount of money it has to work with.

H. E. Callahan Construction of Auburn was awarded the contract for $889,000 to renovate the storefronts on the first floor.

The 1894 Norway Opera House — for years the center of community activities — has remained vacant since the partial roof collapse in September 2007. The town took possession of the three-story brick edifice on Main Street it after it was deemed a public hazard.

A separate bid is also expected to be opened soon for the restoration of the back wall of building. It was stabilized last year and the original bricks are stored in the basement. The work will be done if bids are low enough.

Gray said fundraising efforts will begin soon to try to raise another $200,000 to meet the initial $1.1 million estimate to complete the renovation job.

“We’re kind of optimistic,” Gray said cautiously.

Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the project or would like more information may go to the corporation’s website at http://www.saveouroperahouse.orgor call Bruce Cook at 207-890-7920.

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