AUBURN — Backers of a proposed Trapp Road slaughterhouse say they are still moving forward with their plans, although an opening date and a final location have not been set.

John Van Inwagen, partner in Mainestock, said the fate of the operation depends more on economic realities than any concerns about vandalism or arson.

“We’ve finished writing our business plan, and right now we are looking for investments and financing,” he said. “Nobody in Central Maine is doing what we want to do. Nobody is going out to local farmers, taking the product, processing it, labeling it and getting it to Hannaford’s at a price people can afford.”

Van Inwagen, of Camden, said the company is focused on the Auburn site but has made no final decisions. The company’s website, www.mainestock.com, lists its location as “… in Central Maine where there is easy access to the I 95 corridor.”

“In  fairness to everybody involved, we need to make sure this is going in the right place,” he said. “Trapp Road fits fine, as far as we can see, but we need to make sure and do the very best thing for our business plan.”

The metal buildings at 512 Trapp Road burned on Feb. 8, hours after the City Council had voted to approve a proposed slaughterhouse there. State fire marshals ruled the blaze a case of arson, but no arrests have been made since the fire.

Deputy Police Chief Jason Moen said the investigation into the fire remains open and that Auburn police have no suspects.

But it doesn’t matter, according to Van Inwagen.

“It’s too bad that it happened, but I don’t feel that it is indicative of anything,” he said. “It was more an action of cowardice. I don’t feel that anyone is going to do anything once there are people there. It’s one thing to burn a vacant operation, and I feel that won’t be a problem once we put up a fence.”

The fire capped a controversial city review process. Craig Linke, Van Inwagen’s partner, first presented plans to open the standalone slaughterhouse on the 21.5 acres Trapp Road lot in December 2010. The land was home to a chicken farm and processing operation in 1998 that was never successful. Linke’s plans called for 15 employees.

Neighbors opposed the plan, saying the operation belonged in an industrial area, not rural Auburn.

But Van Inwagen said the operation’s mission was ignored during the debate.

“This will not be just a slaughterhouse,” he said. “What we are doing is getting local meats and making them affordable. Yes, we will slaughter animals, but we are more interested in the processing of meat and working with local farmers in a way that helps them.”

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