Bar Harbor (Maine USA) will proceed with the demolition of the port's aging state ferry terminal once there's a plan to replace it.
The Town Council voted unanimously to move forward with "demolition of the existing pier at 121 Eden Street and any infrastructure not needed for the town" to fulfill the contract with the company Bay Ferries, which operates the CAT ferry to Nova Scotia (Yarmouth NS).
The recommendation came from the Harbor Committee, which last month sat down with the council in a workshop and went over potential plans for the site. The Harbor Committee suggested a new marina.
According to Town Manager Cornell Knight, the Harbor Committee would continue to work on a master plan and demolition would occur "when we raise the money and there is (a) replacement plan in place.”
The 1956-built terminal was specifically designed for the Canadian ferryboat MV Bluenose (1977-1982), and the layout is obsolete. The existing design consists of 2 causeways, 2 piers (north and south), 2 steel vehicle bridges (between the piers), and a dilapidated building.
Bay Ferries owns a Ro-Ro transfer bridge, pile dolphins extending from the north causeway, and a steel pontoon barge.
The pier, bought by the port town in 2018, has been deteriorating and is currently closed to the public.
Last month, the consultant presented different marina concepts. All included demolishing the north pier and replacing it with dolphins. The concepts for a new marina were pegged at ~$14 million.