LEWISTON — The Internal Revenue Service will become the latest Lisbon Street tenant, taking over two spaces in the former McCrory’s building this year.

Building owner Jason Levesque said the IRS will lease the vacant retail space on the northern edge of his 64 Lisbon St. building, sharing space with his Argo Marketing headquarters and call center.

The IRS is moving out of its offices at 217 Main St.

Levesque said he was also working with a potential tenant to open a restaurant on the third Lisbon Street storefront, next to Dufresne Plaza, but those negotiations fell through this week.

“So if anybody knows a good Portland restaurateur that wants to open up an awesome place on an awesome plaza, have them call me,” Levesque said.

Levesque said he expects work will begin to make the empty space into an office and public waiting area this spring, with the IRS moving in early in fall.

“The initial design elements are pretty clear that this is a public walk-in facility so they can provide in-person customer service to the community,” Levesque said. “If you have issues, you can go there and get them solved. There will be a public entrance and waiting room and help windows and help desks.”

According to Patrick J. Sclafani, regional public affairs officer for the U.S. General Services Administration, the local agency is trading 4,510 square feet of office space in the T.D. Bank Building at 217 Main St. for 2,257 square feet in Levesque’s building. The Lewiston office has been downsized and will have fewer local employees, Sclafani wrote in an email.

Representatives from the IRS could not be reached for comment.

Levesque and Argo Marketing purchased the building in 2013 and began renovations in July of that year. The company opened the 12,000-square-foot call center on the first floor there in January 2014, along with second floor offices and training rooms.

He’s been looking for tenants for the three 1,800-square-foot storefronts since the call center opened.

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