Cold Storage: Boom or bust?

By Jo Coyne

Soon after Portland’s cold storage warehouse opened in February, West End neighbors began noticing a distinct lack of activity at the site. Waterfront rezoning and site-plan approval for the Maine International Cold Storage Facility (MICSF) had been promoted as essential to the city’s economic development, so why was the parking lot empty day after day?

Already wondering about the logistics of keeping a largely-empty warehouse at -10 degrees, we learned on April 23 from the Portland Press Herald (“Maine’s new cold storage facility is at the center of a legal battle over millions in unpaid bills“) that construction cost overruns were huge and that many vendors had not been paid. Since there had been no formal opening or other opportunity to learn more about the new facility, several of us felt it would be helpful to have a public meeting where we and other Portland residents and business owners could ask questions and share concerns.

Neighbors Request Public Meeting

On June 11, we sent a letter to the city manager, the mayor, our District 2 councilor, and the director of the Maine Port Authority (MPA). We eventually received letters, in mid-July, from Amber Maine Cold Storage, the Maine Port Authority (MPA), and Portland Planning Director Kevin Kraft. However, no offers were made for holding the public forum we had requested. Each entity has its reasons for not meeting with the public.

Amber feels it is too busy growing operations at the facility. (Amber is also facing a $12.2 million lien filed by general contractor FCL Builders.) The MPA sees itself involved only in its holding of Amber’s 50-year lease, despite the state’s investment of $8.6 million to assist with site preparation. The City sees no need to meet with community members because it followed all the rules in approving MICSF’s site-plan application.

Time will tell whether the MICSF is financially viable. What we know already is that the facility was built at great taxpayer expense under ongoing pressure from the state; it occupies a significant portion of the working waterfront that might have been used for other purposes; and its importance to Eimskip is questionable, given that firm’s recent, large increase in reefer plugs.

A community discussion about the long road to cold storage might help future projects such as Live Nation achieve better outcomes. Just because something can be built doesn’t always mean it should be.

Jo Coyne is a founding member and a past president of the West End Neighborhood Association. She has lived in the West End since 1993.