The Maine Redevelopment Land Bank Authority is finalizing its acquisition of the former Irving Tannery in Hartland, the first property added to the land bank since it launched in 2024.
Through a partnership with the Somerset County town, Maine Redevelopment will work to stabilize the long-vacant leather processing facility, address site conditions and prepare the property for future reinvestment.
Leather manufacturing defined Hartland’s identity for close to 80 years. But market shifts and the COVID-19 pandemic led to the business’s closure, leaving behind multiple vacant buildings in the heart of the community.
The long-idle property, located at 9 Main St., faces environmental challenges and structural deterioration that needs to be addressed before future reuse.
The Maine Redevelopment Land Bank Authority’s mission is to help communities address abandoned, contaminated, or functionally obsolete properties that are too complex for municipalities to tackle alone. The land bank was created as a quasi-government entity to support municipalities facing complex redevelopment challenges, particularly legacy sites that once fueled local economies.
“We take on projects that are unique and each one is different. Some may be like Hartland Tannery, where we will do the large clean up, do visioning with the community for the next chapter of the site, and then work to find developers to match that vision,” said Jennifer Litteral, the operations manager.
She said the land bank has a Lightning Grant program that supplies municipalities with up to $25,000 to maintain a property until a redevelopment opportunity arises.
Litteral said the land bank is funded through grants and a dedicated portion of landfill tipping fees on construction and demolition debris.