OLD TOWN – Attempts to find a buyer for the Georgia-Pacific Corp. mill continue to move forward after the company announced last month it was closing the Old Town facility.

G-P is working to complete an asset purchase agreement that is expected to be provided to potential buyers this week.

“The deal marches on,” state Economic Development Commissioner Jack Cashman said Wednesday, optimistic that a buyer will be found.

Mill officials have been working with the state to allow time to find a new buyer, and workers will continue to be paid for 60 days from the time they were let go.

The state’s 60-day deadline for finding a buyer ends May 15.

“I think that over time, it becomes apparent who of the people who have expressed interest in this have the same interests that we do,” Cashman said, “which is of course somebody who will run the whole place and bring as many people as possible back to work.”

When the mill shut down, more than 400 people were left without jobs. In addition to closing the mill, G-P closed its four chip mills in Milo, Costigan, Houlton and Portage.

Since the closure, Cashman has shown the mill property to at least nine potential buyers.

“We’re interested in someone who wants to run it as a pulp and paper mill,” Cashman said. “Obviously that doesn’t fit into everybody’s plan, but it does fit into [the plans of] a good few of the folks.”

The Local 80 papermakers union has been working with state officials on finding a buyer, and union secretary Michael St. Peter said Wednesday he had didn’t have any remarks about the process other than to echo Cashman’s comments.

The most recent update on the union’s Web site, which was posted April 12, states that: “No specific news is yet available. Representatives remain cautiously optimistic as the process with potential buyers continues.”

Cashman said Wednesday that the state will continue to work with potential buyers who respond to G-P’s asset purchase agreement, which outlines the framework under which someone would buy the facility.