PRESQUE ISLE – Construction of a potato storage research facility has been delayed after bids for the project came in anywhere from $300,000 to $500,000 more than what had been budgeted.

The nearly $1 million project of the Maine Potato Board, which will be funded primarily with state and federal grants, is intended to provide research data into the best methods for long- and short-term storage of potatoes to maintain maximum quality. It also will provide improved accessibility and capacity over existing storage facilities.

Bids for the project were opened in early May, with the intention of having the facility built and available for the 2002 harvest by October. With the bids coming in too high, construction probably won’t get under way until the fall, with completion next spring.

Construction will be at the University of Maine Aroostook Research Farm on U.S. Route 1 in Presque Isle.

“We’ve gone back to the drawing board and taken out some of the capacity,” Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board, told the board at its meeting on Wednesday. “We wanted to get the building to where the size will come in at budget.”

Among the modifications made in the plans to do that, a large climate-controlled storage locker and a small locker have been taken out, Flannery said, and one of four commercial storage bins has been eliminated.

In addition, the size of the research work area has been reduced, control systems for each locker and bin have been consolidated and floor ventilators for storage lockers have been eliminated, since they would not be needed.

Flannery said the building essentially is the same as originally designed, but is slightly smaller.

As it had done in April before bids being opened, the board gave Flannery the authority to sign all contract documents for the project, provided the new bids are within budget.

Proper storage of potatoes has become a critical factor in the success of Maine’s potato industry, which provides nearly a quarter of the state’s agricultural income.

With increased emphasis on the processing of potatoes for potato chips, french fries and other potato products, improved storage is expected to further enhance the state’s position in an increasingly competitive marketplace.