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January 13, 2011

Belfast Stinson site eyed for boatyard

By The Mainebiz News Staff

A group of Maine business owners is proposing turning the former Stinson Seafood Co. cannery property in Belfast into a boatyard and manufacturing facility.

Rockport Marine owner Taylor Allen, Brooklin Boat Yard President Steven White and two executives from Augusta-based composites firm Kenway Corp. are hoping to buy the derelict property and develop a large- scale boat servicing and restoration facility, according to the Herald Gazette. The boatyard would have a larger travel lift than others in the midcoast, allowing it to accommodate vessels about 120 feet in length, and will likely focus on repairing composite hulls. The group hopes to use the facility to build boats and potentially service and launch equipment for offshore wind and tidal energy projects. Kenway Corp. owner Kenneth Priest is also involved in the project, and the company's director of advanced technology, J.B. Turner, would be site manager and run day-to-day operations. Kenway makes composite motorboats and composites for industrial uses, including the "bridge in a backpack" technology developed by the University of Maine. The group is hoping to close on the property by the end of the week.

Investor group Belfast Bridge LLC bought the property in 2005 with plans to develop condos, but abandoned the project in 2006 after running out of money. Other proposals to develop the property have also faltered. The city last year sued Belfast Bridge for ignoring orders to demolish the structure for code violations and for breaching a zoning and leasing agreement. The sale would allow the city to settle with Belfast Bridge, according to the paper.

Go to the article from the Herald Gazette >>

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