LEWISTON — Defenders of the city’s gymnastics program were out in force Tuesday, even as city staff assured councilors that negotiations to keep the program going were promising.

Deputy City Administrator Phil Nadeau declined to name names, but told councilors that another group is negotiating to take over and operate the program at the Lewiston Memorial Armory using city equipment.

“In short, we believe we are very close to putting together an agreement for all parties that would preserve the program in its entirety, that would preserve the pricing that was in place, that would keep it at the armory potentially longer than two years,” Nadeau said.

An official from the Auburn-Lewiston YMCA said Monday that his group was negotiating with Lewiston to administer the program.

Nadeau wouldn’t confirm that Tuesday night, but he said he expected an agreement to be settled by Aug. 8 so councilors could review the deal at their Aug. 12 meeting.

“It is essentially a lease,” Nadeau said. “We are not selling anything to anyone. They would be using our building and our equipment, but they would be completely responsible for everything else.”

Nadeau said the city cannot afford to keep running it as it is. The city has offered two gymnastics programs each year, a September-to-July program followed by a July summer camp. Last year, it drew 281 gymnasts, ranging from ages 3½ to 17.

The Lewiston Recreation Department program shares the armory’s floor space with other programs, including basketball, volleyball and social groups. The gymnastics equipment takes up the entire floor area and must be put away and removed each time to make room for other groups. City staff has done that work, but councilors eliminated four maintenance positions in the city’s 2014-15 budget.

That leaves four full-time employees and one half-time employee to handle all maintenance matters at all city buildings, including the armory, City Hall, the Lewiston Public Library, the police station and the city’s parking garages.

Members of the gymnastics team, their parents and members of other Maine gymnastics groups attended the meeting to show their support, saying the program was essential for building the athletes’ character and confidence.

“Friendships are formed and a tight bond begins,” said Dyane Jordan, the coach of the program. “Some become more confident, make new friends and make friends in other parts of the state.”

Gymnasts begged councilors to do what they could to preserve the program.

“I’ve been doing gymnastics since I was 8 and I knew as soon as I stepped on that first mat that this was what I wanted to do,” Lauren Theriault said. “Now I’m 11 and nothing has changed. I still have that same love for gymnastics. I really hope this program doesn’t get cut because gymnastics means the world to me.”

staylor@sunjournal.com