The Coburn Gore border crossing station, built in 1932 in Coburn Gore Township on the Canadian border, is in an isolated setting about 20 miles northwest of Eustis in northern Franklin County. The U.S. General Services Administration plans to spend $85 million to $95 million to modernize it. General Services Administration photo
COBURN GORE TOWNSHIP — The U.S. General Services Administration will hold a public meeting next week on a $85 million to $95 million project to modernize the Coburn Gore Land Port of Entry in northern Franklin County.
The meeting is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26, at the main building on state Route 27, also known as The Arnold Trail, in this township on the Canadian border.
The entry point is in an isolated setting about 20 miles northwest of Eustis. It was constructed in 1932 across from Woburn, Quebec, according to information on the General Services Administration website. The port has a main building and two residences that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the website.
The overall project is expected to assist the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Customs and Border Protection’s mission to efficiently carry out its mission at the crossing. When completed, it will provide for the efficient flow of current and projected traffic volumes, according to the website.
The General Services Administration also plans to modernize four other land ports of entry in Maine through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: the Calais Ferry Point, Fort Fairfield, Houlton and Limestone.
A federal agency is preparing an environmental assessment for the modernization project. The meeting will provide information and allow for comments.
The U.S. General Services Administration awarded a $760,350 contract for architectural and engineering services to Dattner Architects of New York. The company will provide predesign services, a budget and information on the availability of land, according to the administration.
The new facility at Coburn Gore “will strengthen supply chains, improve operational capabilities and facility infrastructure, spur economic growth, and bolster the country’s security,” Paul Hughes, public affairs officer for the administration in New England, wrote in an email. The port of entry “will incorporate sustainability features that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate environmental impact, and simultaneously increase the mission readiness of the federal government by increasing resilience to climate change.”
Construction is slated to start in October 2026 and is estimated to be completed in May 2029.
Written comments on the project must be submitted to the U.S. General Services Administration by Nov. 27. They can be provided in person at the public meeting, by email to coburngore.lpoe@gsa.gov with subject line Coburn Gore EA, or by mail to General Services Administration, Attention Li Wang, project manager, Thomas P.O’Neill Jr. Federal Building, 10 Causeway St., 11th Floor, Boston, MA 02222.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $3.4 billion for the General Services Administration to modernize and construct land ports of entry along the nation’s borders with Canada and Mexico. The goal is to provide sustainable, climate resilient, superior facilities with low maintenance and operating costs; and which are functional, technologically efficient, and provide a welcoming gateway to the United States, Hughes wrote.
The General Services Administration provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing about $75 billion in annual contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies, according to the website.
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