WILTON — The Maine Department of Transportation has purchased a large commercial building on Routes 2 and 4 with plans to move the Western Region offices from Dixfield to Wilton. 

MDOT recently closed on the former Dexter building and about two acres of land for $475,000, Norm Haggan, regional manager, said. The property at 932 US Route 2 is next to Hammond Lumber.

The MDOT garage and maintenance crew at 547 Main Street in Dixfield will remain there, he said.

About 45 people, mainly engineers, clerical, supervisory and safety staff, will relocate to the new offices, which are more centrally located within MDOT’s Western Region, he said.

“We are looking forward to the move,” he said. “Some will have to travel more to work, some less.”

MDOT is waiting to sell an old fleet service garage in Augusta. Funds from the sale are expected to be used on renovations at the Wilton building, Haggan said.

“We are hoping for the move by this winter, he said.

A design firm is working on a renovation plan but there is no estimate of costs for the work, he said.

The 12,000-square-foot building was most recently owned by Jon and Lois Bubier of Farmington who purchased it in June 2014.

It was built in 2006 by Kelly Dexter and sold to Hammond Lumber in April 2014 as part of the purchase of Dexter Supply. Hammond Lumber chose to continue its work in the lumber business, not the rental business, a Hammond manager said at the time about reasons for selling the building.

The building was used mostly for storage until the sale to the Bubiers.

Fastenal, an industrial supply store, moved that spring from the Mt. Blue Shopping Plaza in Farmington to a section of the second floor. The company wanted room to expand, Bubier said at the time.

This was the 16th branch of the national retail business in Maine but the business has recently combined branches, Bubier said. Fastenal moved out of the Wilton building within the past few months.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net