Demolition begins on abandoned poultry processing plant at Heron Park in Berlin

BERLIN, Md. – The start of demolition to an abandoned factory in the heart of America’s Coolest Small Town marks a bright future, say local leaders.

An “Obstacle” to Progress

Thursday afternoon, work officially began to tear down what was once a Tyson poultry processing plant.

“It’s an obstacle, a literal and physical, and even figurative obstacle to progress,” remarked Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development, Jake Day. “The razing of this plant will do away with what is clearly been a long-time unused facility.”

Future Plans

The rusting, aging building sits in front of the access point to Heron Park, formerly known as Berlin Falls Park. The town purchased the property about ten years ago, with the hope to revitalize it and improve park amenities.

“The passive section of the park is toward the rear of the property, and then you have this industrial building that we have to pass in order to get to the park,” said Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall. “I know that our citizens are very excited to see something happening with the site.”

A portion of the back building will remain standing, and may be used for warehousing in the future.

“What the goal is going to be, is to have a front section of the building over here, re-purposing what was once the offices, as well as the cafeteria and some of the storage area of the building,” Mayor Tyndall said.

Furnishing Funding

Doing all of that demolition is an expensive endeavor. Back in January, Berlin Town Council awarded the demolition bid to JNT Enterprise, to the tune of $112,715. JNT Enterprise beat out Reynolds Excavating’s bid of $452,500.

In addition to picking the cheaper bid, Berlin officials later learned that the Md. Dept. of Housing and Community Development had granted them $500,000 for demolition. The department has helped beautify Berlin in the past, through the Maryland Main Street Program and Project Restore.

“Our community legacy grants have been used to improve the sides of several businesses, including Una Bella Salute, and of course The Globe theater,” Sec. Day said. “This, today, is another fine example of ways that we can help support your vision.”