GORHAM — The town’s Industrial Park Steering Committee is progressing with its plans to draw industry to a large site Gorham voters approved buying last November.
The town has laid plans for roads and is advertising the as yet unnamed industrial park.
“We have come up with a conceptual road design,” Town Councilor Lee Pratt, chairman of the Steering Committee, said Tuesday.
Voters approved borrowing $4 million to buy the 141-acre land tract and up to an additional $1.9 million to develop the site into lots. The site has 93 acres off Main Street (Route 25) and 48 acres off Libby Avenue. It is near the current Gorham Industrial Park.
The interior road layout for the new park will link to Main Street, Cyr Drive and Hutcherson Drive to the existing Gorham Industrial Park. Road construction will likely begin next year.
Economic Development Director Kevin Jensen said Gorham has a full page advertisement in the current issue of Mainebiz Factbook. The ad extolls Gorham’s scenic beauty, quality school system, University of Southern Maine campus and vibrant village, all aimed at attracting commercial, manufacturing and industrial businesses to town.
“The town wants to work with people,” Jensen said.
The ad cost $2,250 and was paid for from the town’s economic development budget, he said.
The ad says the industrial park will have 24 lots averaging 5 acres each. The existing Gorham Industrial Park is at capacity.
“We’re bursting at the seams,” Jensen said.
Pratt said the town’s goal in buying the additional property was to help the tax base.
“We’re going to start accelerating the process,” Pratt said.
Community Development Director Tom Poirier said next steps include continuing soil testing, talks with the Portland Water District about providing water and sewer and discussions with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.
Pratt said the town needs a Department of Environmental Protection permit for the industrial park.
Jensen said a request for proposal is being developed to get a real estate broker on board to provide advice.
As for occupants in the park, Jensen said, “We’d like to have some variety.”
Members of the Steering Committee besides Pratt are Town Councilor Jim Hager, Sebago Technics Engineer Owens McCullough, businessman Jon Smith, Gorham Economic Development Corp. member Todd Chase and Vice Chairman Ann Bilodeau, a resident of the abutting Shamrock Drive residential neighborhood.
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