A vote on the proposal to stabilize the site now is likely to occur Feb. 4, according to Mayor David Rollins.

One council member has suggested considering land near the Augusta Civic Center instead of the parcel on Leighton Road.

The museum will have displays telling the story of First Amendment champions, explain the First Amendment and rights it protects, and contain a digital archive of historic Maine newspapers.

An ordinance adopted last year requires owners of buildings that are abandoned and vacant to pay a fee and provide contact information for a city registry.

The city’s Conservation Commission wants input from residents on how the 164 acres should be used.

Councilor Patrick Paradis said the project ‘has been bungled’; Councilor Linda Conti called for moving ahead with it.

Soil at the site is too soupy to support the weight of firetrucks, so it will need to be shored up with steel pilings, officials said.

The city joins Bar Harbor and Brunswick on a list of the 100 best small towns in America.