Calais border facility to get $3.8M revamp
Courtesy / U.S. General Services Administration
The original facility at Calais Ferry Point, shown here, was constructed in 1935 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Morphosis Architects, a New York- and Los Angeles-based architectural and design firm with an international portfolio, has won a $3.8 million contract to revamp the land port of entry at Calais Ferry Point on Maine's border with Canada.
The project entails renovating a structure built in 1935 that's listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and building a new facility, according to Paul Hughes, a Boston-based spokesman for the U.S. General Services Administration.
Under the contract, Morphosis will provide pre-design, concept, design development, construction documentation and construction procurement services for the project. Funding is through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The project will incorporate sustainability features that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impact of buildings on the environment as part of a broader mission in the fight against climate change.
"America's land ports are vital to our economy and our security, with billions of dollars in goods and services crossing our borders each and every day," said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. "The investments created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are a historic opportunity to modernize our land ports in ways that will create good-paying jobs and strengthen supply chains while enhancing safety and security.”
Hughes said the main building will be renovated and an addition will be designed and constructed to respond to the characteristics of the historical building.
Calais, a town with a population of just over 3,000, has two other border crossings with Canada at Milltown Crossing and International Avenue.
GSA’s goals for the new Calais Ferry Point Land Point of Entry include providing a long-lasting and durable port that is sustainable and climate-resilient, with low maintenance and operating costs.
The new port will also be highly functional and technologically efficient while respecting the historic nature of the location.
When completed, the facility will improve public and officer safety and provide for the long-term, safe and efficient flow of current and projected traffic volumes.
“We are excited for the opportunity to work with our federal partners and the economic prospects this project will bring to the region,” said Glenn C. Rotondo, the GSA’s Region 1 public buildings service commissioner and acting regional administrator.
The agency provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing around $75 billion in annual contracts and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies.
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My husband and I use this customs station frequently. It’s definitely overdue for a renovation and I’m glad to see something in the Calais area getting noticed. However, the Canadian side has been going through renovations for 2+ years now and that’s where all the long lines seem to be not because of the renovations but because of the long line of people wanting to enter Canada.
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