WATERVILLE — The city plans to buy 62 acres next to Robert LaFleur Municipal Airport for $247,500.

The City Council on Tuesday voted 6-0 to approve the purchase. The funds will come from the city’s undesignated fund balance.

City Manager Michael Roy said Wednesday the land could be used to expand the city-owned airport in the future, a road could be built from Kennedy Memorial Drive to Webb Road, and the city could develop lots on the property for commercial, industrial and residential purposes.

The Waterville Development Corp. has put a down payment on the property so the city can buy it from Union Front Corp., according to Roy.

The city is likely to have the development corporation act as the city’s agent to develop the property, much as it did with the Hathaway building and Head of Falls projects, he said.

Roy said the city may have an interested buyer for a few acres of that property.

“There’s a chance someone is interested in purchasing 2 to 3 acres just beyond the end of our road (Airport Road) because it’s in the foreign trade zone,” he said.

In other airport-related business, Roy said the city finally received word from the federal government that Waterville will receive an $818,000 grant for reconstructing the cross-wind runway. The work will start within a month, Roy said.

The city’s share of the project is $68,000 and the state’s share $22,000, he said. In May, councilors awarded the work to RA Paradis and Son Inc., of Newport, he said.

In other matters Tuesday, Roy announced that a burned-out house on Oak Street will be demolished as soon as possible after Sept. 1. The Fire Department will use it before that for two training sessions, he said.

Councilors took the first of three votes to approve fronting Quarry Road Recreation Area up to $100,000 to build a maintenance building on the site. Councilors stipulated that the city engineer approve the construction and that the money be paid back within two years.

The Council also voted to spend up to $60,000 to complete repairs to the Two-Cent Bridge. Roy and councilors praised City Engineer Greg Brown for his work to see the repair project through and thanked him for his efforts.

Councilors also took the first of three votes to accept $3,000 from a private donor to help pay for the Sustain Mid-Maine Coalition coordinator’s salary.