Concerned about the future of the Hutchinson Center?
Future of the Hutchinson Center Steering Committee
This group, referred to here as FHCSC, was formed in August, 2023, shortly after the announcement that the University of Maine would be closing the Hutchinson Center. The Hutchinson Center was built to be an adult educational facility. The group’s focus has been on retaining The Hutch, as it is known, as a public, educational, cultural, and community center dedicated to serving the mid-coast region, as it was originally intended.
Since the original announcement, this group has been trying to work with the University to chart a course forward that preserves the mission of The Hutch.
Read the timeline on this site to follow the events that have transpired.
If you want to assist in this effort, please see the section on helping out.
Our Mission
Our mission is to retain the Hutchinson Center as a space where educational, cultural and community groups can offer classes and events to expand learning opportunities for area residents of all ages. Specifically, we plan to provide rental or cost sharing space to
one or more degree granting institutions to offer undergraduate and graduate courses
Senior College Belfast to offer classes and the opportunity for social interchange among senior citizens of the area
not-for-profit organizations to offer art, cultural, musical, and theatrical events and activities of all kinds open to the community
governmental, not-for-profit organizations, and businesses to hold conferences.
There are no adequate spaces in the mid-coast area that can meet any of these needs. Organizations in each of these categories have reached out to work with us when this seems possible.
