Berlin Sells Former Chicken Plant Parcel for $1.2 Million
Worcester County, MD - The old chicken processing building at Heron Park in Berlin has a new owner. The Town of Berlin has finished the sale of Parcel 57 to Palmer and Sandy Gillis for $1.2 million. The couple bought the property through their company, Heron Park Development, LLC.
The town bought the former Tyson Foods site in February 2016 for $2.5 million. This sale is one of the biggest steps so far in the town's long push to bring the land back to life.
In 2021, Berlin received $500,000 from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to tear down unsafe parts of the old plant. That money removed buildings that could not be reused and made room for new projects.
In April 2025, the town signed a contract with the Gillis couple to buy and redevelop the property. The Mayor and Council made sure it included deadlines, with work on the first phase starting by the end of April 2027 and finishing by the end of October 2028.
The developer has put up $50,000 as a guarantee. If those deadlines are missed, the town can take $5,000 a month from that money. These rules are meant to get the property back in use and put it back on the town's tax rolls.
The Gillis couple plans to build in two phases. The first phase will bring a professional office building to the middle of the site, along with a retail building facing Ocean City Boulevard that will likely be a restaurant.
The second phase will go at the back of the property, near the ponds, but no specific plan has been shared yet. Until then, the couple has agreed to add landscaping and improve features in that area.
"For years, residents have asked what's next for the former chicken plant site. With Palmer and Sandy Gillis on board, we finally have a clear answer. The Town looks forward to working alongside them to see the former chicken plant site become a place our community can be proud of," said Mayor Zack Tyndall.
The mayor also pointed to work already happening nearby. He said "residents and businesses along Old Ocean City Boulevard have been doing their part to improve and reinvest in their neighborhood, and we are pleased to see the Gillis' adding the former processing plant building to that progress."
Tyndall also thanked those who helped the project get this far. "I want to thank the citizens of Berlin, Councilmembers, Planning Commission members, our other local partners, and the State of Maryland for their continued support throughout this redevelopment process," he said. "I also want to extend a special thank you to Emily K. Morris of EKM Law, PLLC, for her leadership and guidance as we navigated the complexities of redeveloping this property."
Most of Heron Park is not part of the sale. The town still owns about 85 percent of the land it bought in 2016, including the walking path around the lagoons. Town leaders and the community are still planning and funding a new skate park and Public Works facility on town-owned parts of Heron Park.
Visitors should know the entrance to Heron Park has moved a little to the east, and signs will mark the new route. The Mayor and Council plan to keep working on a permanent road to serve the park, the future skate park, and the new Public Works facility.
