The Coburn Gore border crossing station is seen in this file photo. Built in 1932 in Coburn Gore Township on the Canadian border, it is in an isolated setting about 20 miles northwest of Eustis in northern Franklin County. A second meeting will be held on the proposed modernization and expansion of the port of entry facility at 5 p.m. June 27 at the facility. General Services Administration photo
COBURN GORE TOWNSHIP — The U.S. General Services Administration will hold a second public meeting on the proposed $95 million modernization and expansion project at the 1932 border station in northern Franklin County.
The estimated two-hour meeting will start at 5 p.m. June 27, at the main building at Coburn Gore Land Port of Entry on state Route 27. The meeting is required to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act.
The new facility, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, is to strengthen supply chains, improve operational capabilities and facility infrastructure, spur economic growth and bolster the country’s security, according to Paul Hughes, media spokesman for the independent agency.
The project is intended to provide a fully operational port of entry that coordinates with the traffic flow and operations of the Canadian port of entry at Saint-Augustin-de-Woburn in Quebec.
It would provide a new port that is functional, accessible and equitable for U.S. Customs and Border Protection to more efficiently carry out its mission and operations and interactions with the public.
It will incorporate sustainability features that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate environmental impact and simultaneously increase the mission readiness of the federal government by increasing resilience to climate change, according to Hughes.
The port processes commercial and noncommercial vehicles. It is operating as a permitted commercial port, which means limited inspection activities for commercial traffic due to the lack of current inspection technologies and do not meet current Customs and Border Patrol standards.
In fiscal year 2023, the port processed about 24,000 vehicles and that figure is expected to increase in the next five years.
The project is estimated to cost up to $95 million. Factors in that cost are expanding the station, 21st century inspection technology, housing for officers, limited access to construction labor markets, transportation and housing for construction workers and three-phase electrical power.
A General Services Administration feasibility study found it will cost up to $8 million to bring three-phase power from the nearest town of Eustis 22 miles away.
Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2026 and be completed in the fall of 2029.
The public can provide input that will be used to determine the scope and content of the environmental assessment, according to Hughes.
Written comments regarding the environmental assessment must be received by 5 p.m. on July 29, using one of the following methods:
• In-person: Submit them at the public meeting via comment forms to be distributed at the meeting.
• Email: Send to coburngore.LPOE@gsa.gov and reference “Coburn Gore LPOE EA” in the subject line.
• Mail: Send to U.S General Services Administration, Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. Federal Building, 10 Causeway St. 11th Floor, Boston, MA 02222-1077. Write “attention: Li-hang Wang, project manager.”
Project information is available at gsa.gov/coburngore
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