Revamp of Bar Harbor's old ferry terminal is in full swing
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The building and concrete surface of the north pier are slated for demolition as part of a overall plan to improve the facility for the international CAT ferry.
With the CAT ferry scheduled to resume service this spring between Nova Scotia and Bar Harbor, repairs and upgrades of the ferry terminal in Maine are underway. The work is being done by the ferry's owner, Bay Ferries Ltd. of Prince Edward Island, Canada, and its Bar Harbor-based agent, Atlantic Fleet Services Corp.
The upgrades on the north pier will be visible soon, when work begins to demolish its old passenger ramp building and the concrete ramp surface.
The Bar Harbor Town Council last week agreed to fund Phase 1 of the project at a cost of $65,000 plus $360 per ton of debris disposal and authorized the town manager to sign a contract with Maine Coast Marine, a marine services company in Winterport, to perform the work.
The building is a relic from pre-CAT days, when the terminal was used by a side-loading ferry called the Bluenose, which operated for nearly 30 years.
It’s expected the demolition work will be completed by April 30, Annette Higgins, presidents of Atlantic Fleet, said in a memo to the council.
Atlantic Fleet and Bay Ferries are working with civil engineering firm TEC Associates of South Portland on a progressive maintenance plan to maintain the structural integrity and safety of the north pier for marine operations for the duration of their lease with the town, Higgins wrote.
The plan is being undertaken at the companies’ expense. The process began in 2019 when various types of supports and piles, under the western end of the pier, closest to the shore, were repaired, strengthened or replaced and a vehicle access ramp was relocated from Portland to the Bar Harbor facility. That process is scheduled to continue through the coming year, she said.
During the pile repairs, it would make sense to demolish the topside structures, which have a number of negatives.
The building is no longer required for ferry operations. The building and ramp are aesthetically unappealing, “creating a negative impression for visitors departing from or arriving at the marine gateway,” Higgins wrote.
Their state of disrepair, especially the passenger ramp sheathing, makes them a liability and an overall safety hazard.
“Simply put, there are many reasons to demolish and permanently remove these structures,” Higgins wrote.
Atlantic Fleet selected Maine Coast Marine as the low bidder in a request for proposals.
The work will be conducted in two phases. Phase 1 will remove all sheathing from the passenger ramp, the smaller structures and general debris.
Phase 2 is expected to complete final removal of debris in the fall.
Mark Wilson, Bay Ferries’ vice president of marine operations, told the council at its meeting last week that the two companies are taking care of the work needed underneath the pier to ensure structural integrity.
“That building is obviously no longer useful,” said Councilor Matt Hochman. “It served a purpose that’s no longer in existence because we won’t have side-loading ferry coming in.”
The town manager, Kevin Sutherland, said the town has money available for Phase 1 in its capital improvement program fund.
Options for funding Phase 2, he said, include through taxation, a grant, or having the companies pay for it.
“I think Phase 1 will make a significant dent,” said Wilson.
Wilson and Higgins said they were coming to the town for public funds because the terminal belongs to the town and the companies are paying for other aspects of the repair and maintenance project.
“We are putting considerable money into the structural integrity of the pier, well above the demolition of the structures,” said Wilson.
The town bought the terminal, at 121 Eden St., from the state in 2018 and entered into a contract with Atlantic Fleet services to lease a portion of the lot through the 2025 operating season on which to mount a international ferry service using the high-speed CAT ferry.
The 2020 and 2021 seasons were canceled because of the pandemic. Service is scheduled to resume this May.
In September 2020, the town council contracted with GEI Engineering of Portland to assess the condition of the pier and related infrastructure to determine options for possible reuse.
The harbor committee subsequently recommended that the town proceed with demolition of the existing pier and infrastructure not needed to fulfill its contract with Bay Ferries and continue work with GEI or other marine engineers to design options for phased development of a multi-purpose marina that includes a boat ramp for recreational and limited commercial use, traditional marina services to recreational and working watercraft, expansion of the town’s working waterfront, and tendering of passengers from cruise ships. That planning process continues.
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