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V O L . X X V I I I N O. X I V J U LY 1 1 , 2 0 2 2 12 A U G U S TA / WAT E R V I L L E / C E N T R A L M A I N E G rowing up in Portland, attor- ney James Bass never thought he'd end up in Augusta. Now he can't imagine ever leaving. "If the ghost of Christmas future had come to me back when I was a junior at Deering High School and said that I would be living in Augusta, I would have thought I may have done something wrong," says Bass, half of a two-person law firm and co-owner of Cushnoc Brewing Co. "It's a welcoming community that's on the move," says Bass, a resident of Augusta since August 2014 whose prac- tice at Soltan Bass LLC includes gov- ernment relations work and advising real estate developers in a 19,000-population city he says is "on the cusp" of a building boom. "Over the next 18 to 24 months, we will see some steel in the ground here in Augusta." So far, Bass says, the growth of Augusta's residential development has been organic and has partly come from the conversion and rehabilitation of many downtown buildings, including five by Tobias Parkhurst, his partner at Cushnoc Brewing. Bass expects the next growth phase to come from new construction of larger, multi-unit buildings. Keith Luke, Augusta's economic development director, estimates the value of residential investment coming into the city to be approaching $100 million. at includes $20 million to $25 million from a planned 260-apart- ment project by the John Flatley Co., of Canton, Mass., plus several single- family developments. "It certainly manifests as a boom now, limited only by the availability of contrac- tors," Luke says. His pitch to develop- ers thinking about building in Augusta: "e historically low rental vacancy rate and the paucity of homes available for sale both serve to demonstrate the fan- tastic investment opportunity that exists in Augusta and central Maine." Besides a thriving downtown, Augusta offers a stable economy with tempered growth and affordability despite rising prices, according to locals. As of May, the median price for a home in Augusta was $237,991, or 20.7% higher than what it was a year ago, according to Zillow. at compares to a $350,000 statewide median sales price in May, 14.8% above what it was a year ago, the latest Maine Listings data show. "Augusta right now is seeing increased demand among folks moving here from outside the community," observes Matthew Pouliot, an Augusta-based Realtor and Republican state senator. "It's indicative of people's awareness about changes that have been made in Augusta in recent years to add new restaurants and bring more vibrancy to the community." Bay State developers keen on Augusta Augusta is attracting a mix of local real estate developers and those from out of state, including John Flatley, whose proposed project is currently being vet- ted by Augusta's Planning Board. Telling board members at a June 28 meeting that the planned project in Augusta is similar to a current, 400- unit project in Providence, R.I.. he said, "I look forward to working with the city, and doing the best that we can to make the neighborhood happy with what we end up with." Documents on file with the Planning Board show plans for 260 apartments in four five-story buildings on 27 acres west of Rod Road, with two access points from that street.e proposed complex would have 140 two-bedroom units and 120 one-bedroom units. Written comments for and against the project are on file with the city. One is from Chuck Hays, president and CEO of MaineGeneral Health and Maine- General Medical Center, who expressed his support for the project in terms of adding apartments, trails and other ame- nities. He also applauded the developer's plans to work with local contractors. F O C U S B y R e n e e C o r d e s Residential development gathers momentum in Maine's capital P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Tobias Parkhurst on Water Street near State Lunch in Augusta. He has converted and rehabbed five downtown Augusta buildings.

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