Council OKs rehabilitation project Houlton eyes land acquisition for economic, community development

HOULTON – Town councilors voted Monday night to move forward with the Houlton Micro-Business Park project by applying for several grants, looking into land acquisition and seeking assistance from environmental organizations, according to Town Manager Peggy Daigle.

The project aims to reuse Bangor & Aroostook Railroad property in Houlton for economic and community development, including environmental improvement, business attraction, cultural and recreational enhancements and beautification and rehabilitation.

The property is located on the west side of Bangor Street and includes areas that are accessible by Florence and Alice avenues and Buffalo Street. The property is for sale through a bankruptcy court order.

Daigle wrote Tuesday in an e-mail that information from the council agenda was presented on the project, which would create a “clean” site for speculative buildings to attract or expand light industrial and commercial business.

The town is working with the Northern Maine Development Commission to determine whether acquisition and redevelopment of the land is possible, Daigle wrote in a document that was presented to town councilors. She said the project is estimated to cost $950,000.

The municipality is preparing applications for a $475,000 grant from the Municipal Investment Trust Fund program, which would be used for acquisition and infrastructure, and a $50,000 grant from the Rural Business Opportunity Grant program, which would be used for planning and cleanup, stated in the document.

If the funding is approved, Daigle said that it would be used to buy the land, complete a master plan that would include brownfield and engineering assessments and provide for a detailed plan for building demolition at the site, preliminary environmental cleanup and development of a pedestrian trail area.

Daigle said the funding plan calls for a $50,000 contribution from the municipality – $25,000 each from the town of Houlton and the Shiretown Development Corp., a local economic development organization on which the councilors also sit.

She also said the town will seek a $200,000 cleanup grant from the Department of Environmental Protection, plus a $100,000 grant from the Community Development Block Grant-Regional Assistance Fund Grant program to match the EPA grant.

With the council’s approval, Daigle will move forward on applications for the various grants, seek agreement from the B&A Railroad trustee on terms and sale of the land, and seek assistance on the project with the EPA and Department of Environmental Protection.

Daigle said in the document that town officials will speak to the trustee as soon as possible to work out a “mutually beneficial arrangement” that would give them time to secure funding and acquire the property at a fair price.