U.S. General Services Administration
GSA Breaks Ground on New Madawaska, Maine, Land Port of Entry
BOSTON – On Thursday, September 9, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the official start of the Madawaska Land Port of Entry (LPOE) project.
The project consists of design & construction of a new Land Port of Entry (LPOE) on 10.7 acres of USA land to replace the existing mission and operationally deficient LPOE, built in 1959, in coordination with Maine DOT’s Madawaska-Edmundston International bridge replacement projected to be completed by November 2023.
The new state-of-the-art port will be an energy efficient, sustainable, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED® Gold & SITES™ Silver certified facility that offers high end technology for the CBP officers stationed there. The main building will house administration, training, staff, staff support, processing support, enforcement support, agricultural inspection, building support, inspection support areas, and training facilities comprising classrooms, offices, training rooms, and support spaces.
GSA Acting Regional Administrator and PBS Regional Commissioner Glenn Rotondo focused on the importance of the port of entry for both the town of Madawaska and the communities over the border in Canada.
“These communities are connected with deep cultural heritages that go back to the founding of the country,” Rotondo said. “People who live along the border depend on this deep, cross-border community engagement, often crossing through the ports on a daily basis for jobs, mutual aid, and everyday life.”
CBP Executive Assistant Commissioner William Ferrara emphasized Rotondo’s point stating that the collaboration between not only the communities, but the Canadian Border Services are exceptional.
“I worked in Calais, Maine for five years,” said Ferrara. “I understand the importance of a bridge and a port of entry to a community. As I’ve grown in my career, I understand the importance of those bridges and these ports of entry having the technology to not only protect our local communities but to protect our nation.”
A letter read by Trisha House on behalf of Senator Susan Collins reiterated this sentiment.
“Meeting the dual obligations of protection and openness of our border requires up-to-date technology that will expedite the thorough and efficient processing of people and cargo at our ports of entry,” she read. “More importantly, it requires the dedication of the trained men and women of Customs and Border Protection.”
Letters were also read by Jordyn Madore on behalf of Senator Angus King; Barbara Hayslett on behalf of Congressman Jared Golden; and Bruce Van Note, Commissioner of MaineDOT on behalf of Governor Janet Mills.
A total of $71M was appropriated by Congress for construction of a new Madawaska, Maine Land Port of Entry in 2004, 2007 and 2009.
The team awarded a $49,907,000 contract for the design and construction to J&J Contractors, Inc., a small business based in North Billerica, Massachusetts.
Construction is anticipated to be completed in late 2023.
At a press event earlier this month, GSA highlighted how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal currently making its way through Congress would enable similar investments in other ports in the future by making it possible for GSA to build or modernize more land ports of entry nationwide.
GSA’s New England Region provides centralized procurement for the federal government by managing its real estate portfolio, real estate property utilization and disposal, products and services throughout Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. GSA’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government. For more information, visit: www.gsa.gov/r1 and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About GSA:
GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.