MARCH 14, 2024
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BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
CHARLENE SHARPE/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Berlin resident Gussie Sholtis takes her turn with the sledgehammer to kick off demolition efforts of the former poultry processing buildings at Heron Park.
Plant walls to come tumbling down Community members take swings of their own to mark Tyson buildings’ demolition By Charlene Sharpe Associate Editor (March 14, 2024) Community members joined state and local officials to celebrate the pending demolition of the former processing plant building at Heron Park. Maryland Secretary of Housing and Community Development Jake Day joined Berlin’s elected officials as well as several municipal employees
and community members to kick off wanted to turn the old processing the demolition process beginning this plant into a mixed-use project, the month at Heron Park. A $500,000 council in late 2023 opted not to progrant from the state will allow the ceed with the sale of the property. Intown to knock stead, officials down a pordecided to ‘Congratulations to the entire Berlin tion of the ditake advanlapidated team and community. Let’s knock this tage of a structure. $500,000 thing down.’ — Jake Day “Congratustrategic demSecretary of Housing and Community Development lations to the olition grant entire Berlin the town reteam and community,” Day said. ceived from the state in 2021 to knock “Let’s knock this thing down.” down the derelict building. After more than a year was spent Last Thursday the town hosted a negotiating with a developer who “demolition party” to celebrate the
fact that the process is finally expected to begin this month. Mayor Zack Tyndall said the town was grateful to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development for awarding Berlin the grant. He said the town would be working with contractor JNT Enterprises to tear down as much of the building as possible with the funding. “At the end of the day, the goal’s going to be to have a front section of the building over here, repurposing what was once the offices as well as the cafeteria and some of the storage See ASBESTOS Page 3