The Passamaquody Tribe may purchase the sole, and now shuttered, grocery store in Eastport, the R&M IGA.
The store serving residents of the country’s easternmost city closed on Wednesday, a week after owner Merilyn Mills announced she was retiring.
The closure means Eastport residents will have to drive 40 minutes to Calais for reliable access to fresh produce, unless the store is purchased and reopened. The grocery store isn’t the only major Eastport business to close this summer. In early August, Eastport’s only pharmacy lost its license and shuttered operations. Residents now depend on the Walmart in Calais to fill their prescriptions.
The Family Dollar Store in Eastport holds some food products and the Farmers Union in Perry has a limited supply of fresh produce, though neither serve as fully functioning grocery stores.
Adam Newell, who serves on the Passamaquoddy Tribe’s Pleasant Point council and is the Sipayik Fire Department’s fire chief, asked community members on Monday for their input on whether the tribe should take over Eastport’s IGA.
“I know there are a lot of rumors going around about the tribe’s potential purchase of the IGA in Eastport,” Newell wrote in a Facebook post. “Do you want us to explore investing in the IGA? I believe we should put that question to a referendum vote. If the community says yes, then let’s dig deep into financials, value, risks and potential benefits before making any decision.”
Newell, who lives on Pleasant Point reservation on the eastern edge of Washington County, said that if community members say they do not want to invest in the store, the tribe would “respect that and move on.”
Newell did not respond Wednesday to inquiries from the Bangor Daily News.
The store is not currently listed for sale, though the owner previously said she had tried to sell it before closing. Mills did not respond Wednesday to inquiries from the BDN.
The tribe is not the only group rumored to be interested in the IGA. Jeremy Edwards, president of Edwards Brother Supermarkets, said Monday his company has not officially committed to buying the location but that they had been in conversations with Mills, according to a Facebook post.
Newell’s post attracted more than 75 comments, many from community members who support the venture.
“Grocery is a good investment not only for our people but also for others,” one commenter wrote. “You must have good management and employ people with experience. If you want it to work you can’t just put your friends in to be management. If the Tribe were to do this they should reach out to all Tribal members who have grocery experience and may want to move up to the area so the venture starts out with a good and experienced crew.”
Still, some tribal members wondered if the move would be financially sound.
“Bad investment! They haven’t turned a profit in quite a while,” another commenter wrote. “Walmart mobile is killing local grocery stores and will continue to do so. There’s no way to compete with prices. It will be years before you see a small profit. Sorry but we can’t be heroes all the time.”
Other members said the tribe needed to invest in properties they already own, before setting out to purchase new real estate. Several commenters proposed financing housing developments or senior living facilities instead of the store.
“I believe that purchasing a business 5 miles away from the reservation is reckless and irresponsible,” one tribal member wrote. “We have vacant property already that could be utilized for economic development. It is disheartening to see the plethora of unmet needs that our community members are up against each day. Limited resources, long wait lists for services, extensive travel to secure unmet needs (if it’s even available), and previous funding sources that were available on a limited basis have dried up and are no longer available.”