By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
VAN BUREN — On Sept. 25, representatives of the U.S. General Services Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection were joined by U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King for a virtual ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the newly constructed land port of entry facility in Van Buren.
Collins and King were in Washington and their messages were delivered via video conference to the Van Buren port and the executive conference room of the Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. Federal Building in Boston. Senator Collins helped cut a ribbon from D.C. while a team of those involved in the construction of the port simultaneously did the same in Van Buren. For both Collins and King, it was their first involvement in a “virtual” ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Aroostook Republican Photo/Lisa Wilcox
From left, Cindy Ryan, facility manager for Customs and Border Protection; Samir Randolph, U.S. General Services Administration special assistant to the regional administrator; Patricia Scull, CBP port director; Keith Fleming, CBP area port director; Barbara Hayslett, U.S. Congressman Michael Michaud’s office; Phil Bosse, U.S. Senator Susan Collins’ office; John Maurer, project manager; and Glenn Rotondo, GSA regional commissioner, cut the ribbon commemorating the official opening of the new Van Buren land port of entry on Sept. 25.
After severe flooding in 2008 caused devastating damage to the old border crossing, the GSA considered repairing the facility located just a few miles along the St. John River from the new structure. Repairing the outdated, 40-year-old building, however, would have only increased its usability by five to 10 years, so Collins successfully advocated for the replacement of the building using disaster relief funds.
“Following the devastating floods in 2008, I toured the temporary facilities in Van Buren and recognized the need to modernize them to meet the challenges of securing the border while supporting a robust exchange of visitors between the U.S. and Canada,” said Collins. “With this modern facility and the continued dedication of those who work here, our new front door will be both secure and welcoming.”
U.S. Representative Michael Michaud was also supportive of the new complex.
“I’m confident this new Van Buren Land Port of Entry will serve our community well for many years to come,” Michaud said in a statement.
Located on a 22-acre site, the 44,000-square-foot facility has been in operation since late June. The new port, with its four lanes for incoming traffic, provides the region with a full-service commercial screening station, meaning that commercial traffic coming from Canada may now enter the country via the Van Buren port instead of having to continue south to Houlton.
Three buildings make up the energy-efficient, high-performance facility that features construction using insulated pre-cast concrete panels, a ground-sourced geothermal heating and cooling system, radiant floor heating, a solar hot water heating system for sinks and showers, solar tubes to provide daylight to interior spaces, energy-efficient lighting and a 1,250 kW backup generator.
The GSA expects these energy efficient features to help the facility achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The $46 million project began in May of 2011 and was completed this month. According to the GSA, 27 subcontractors in Maine were used, generating $10.7 million in revenue — $3.3 million within Aroostook County, including $1.5 million in the town of Van Buren.
“I applaud the collaborative work of the GSA, the CBP and all the national and local firms involved throughout the design and construction process,” said King, who had toured the facility earlier in the year. “Without question, this state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly facility will greatly benefit Maine and the nation for years to come.”
In addition to Collins and King, several representatives from the GSA and CBP spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, along with Barbara Hayslett of U.S. Congressman Michael Michaud’s office.
“This port is incredible,” commented GSA regional commissioner Glenn Rotondo. “Going from the devastation of the flood to a fully functioning facility is a testimony to how well GSA local team members worked together on a number of complicated issues.”
After the flood, the port had been operated out of a double-wide trailer set up as a temporary solution until construction of the new facility was complete.
Contributed Photo/Paul Cyr
An aerial view of the newly constructed land port of entry in Van Buren, covering 22 acres on the St. John River, which marks the international border between Maine and New Brunswick.
