CARIBOU, Maine — The city has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission to assist with tearing down and cleaning up the former Birds Eye processing plant site on Route 1.
Caribou acquired the former plant property after owner Steven Nasiff refused to pay back taxes on the land or to secure or remove some structures that the City Council declared dangerous. Councilors were fearful of the possibility of a building collapsing onto Route 1, a relatively high traffic road many use to travel between Presque Isle and Caribou.
The city formally acquired the site on Nov. 22 of last year, at which point councilors unanimously voted to demolish the freezer building and guard shack, two structures that posed the greatest threat to Route 1 travelers.
Mayor Gary Aiken said on Thursday that he was “very pleased” to hear Caribou had been awarded the grant to help pay for taking down the remaining buildings on the 18-acre site. He said it is one of many the city has applied for to assist in clearing the property to make it marketable again.
According to the Aiken, the city has not seen the grant money yet and will need to provide 20 percent in matching funds or $20,000 worth of labor in order to receive the money.
“Overall, I think it’s great news,” he said. “We need all the help we can get in straightening up that site.”
Aiken estimated that, overall, the city will need between $400,000 and $500,000 to completely clear the site.
There are currently no plans for the property once it is cleaned up, the mayor said, though he added that it is a “great location for an industrial or retail” business.
“It’s a great location in the middle of town,” Aiken said. “There are all kinds of possibilities [once it’s cleared].”
While the mayor said there is “no question” that the funding will not clear the entire site, he said he is sure that it will expedite the overall clean-up process.
