BREAKING NEWS: Sullivan real estate firm acquires former aquafarm plant in Gouldsboro
GOULDSBORO, June 15, 2023 - A Sullivan-based commercial rental firm was the high bidder today in the public auction for the Maine Fair Trade complex that was purchased by American Aquafarms in April 2022.
The Norwegian-based AA proposed two salmon farms in the middle of Frenchman Bay in 2021 which drew the ire of every town which borders the body of water with views of Acadia National Park. The application was rejected by the state, and the company founder, who served time in prison for financial fraud in Norway, continues to face financial challenges in Norway.
The price to acquire the property was $975,000 said auctioneer Stef Keenan. Another $325,000 will be due to pay off two liens and back taxes to the town. The buyer has 30 days to close.
Tim Ring, who along with partner Kevin Barbee, owns 65,000 square feet of commercial property in the region, said they do not have a plan yet for the former lobster processing plant. The property consists of five parcels and includes 100,000 square feet of industrial/commercial complex and approximately 1,250 feet of ocean front.
“I never have a plan when I’m gonna do something when I buy it,” Ring said. “Stuff usually just falls into place.”
American Aquafarms’ lease applications to build an industrial-size open-pen salmon farm in Frenchman Bay were rejected by the Maine Department of Marine Resources in 2022.
The American Aquafarms application drew intense local scrutiny and prompted the formation of Frenchman Bay United, a nonprofit coalition of citizens and groups organized in opposition to the large-scale salmon farm.
South Portland engineering company Sebago Technics will be paid about $75,000 and Ransom Engineering of Portland will be paid $230,000, Keenan said.
Thomas Brennan, American Aquafarms’ director of project development, told The Ellsworth American on March 21 that, “The intent is, once the reorganization is done, is to square up with outstanding payments,” he said. “It’s embarrassing. But it’s housekeeping that remains undone.”
American Aquafarms’ parent company, Blue Future Holdings, is focused on new projects in Norway, Brennan told the Ellsworth American, rather than those not making progress — like American Aquafarms.
While the company legally challenged the Maine Department of Marine Resources’ decision in May 2022, it withdrew its lawsuit filed in Cumberland County Superior Court two months later. In the meantime, it purchased the former Maine Fair Trade facility in Gouldsboro.