Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 J U N E 1 6 , 2 0 2 5 F O C U S L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N / W E S T E R N M A I N E for Auburn Housing Authority. It's expected to have 30 apartments. Auburn was one of five municipali- ties in the state selected to participate. Amanda Bartlett, chief operating officer at Developers Collaborative, is leading the Auburn project for the firm. "[It's] a great example of the power of municipal leadership as a catalyst for change in solving homelessness," Bartlett says. "e city in this case was the initiator in finding a city-owned site, researching similar models in other areas and pulling together a qualified team to proactively position the city for success ahead of the competitive process." "e timeline is still a work in prog- ress," Holmes says. "I would hope to have shovels in the ground next year." Lewiston housing Since 2020 through spring of this year, Lewiston has seen 324 units built, a mix of market-rate and affordable. Libby expects to see another 94 homes com- pleted by the end of the year. Affordable housing units have been steadily increasing in Lewiston, up from 1,694 in 2021 to an estimated 1,950 by the end of this year. One of the most recently completed projects is the Szanton Co's. repurpos- ing of 65,000 square feet in the vast Continental Mill. e project is called Picker House Lofts, and is a mix of 72 affordable and market-rate apartments. It leased quickly earlier this year. Two additional housing builds in the Continental mill are already permitted — 125 market-rate units anticipated to be constructed by the end of 2027, with another 255 expected to be completed over the next four years. L/A housing authorities are active e largest project currently under con- struction in Lewiston is the Wedgewood, which covers an entire block on Pine, Bartlett, Walnut and Pierce streets. e Lewiston Housing Authority is devel- oping 82 energy-efficient apartments in eight new buildings and one rehab of an historic mansion. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R Nate Libby, Lewiston's economic and community development director, on the front porch of an affordable housing unit under construction as part of the Wedgewood project. The housing market is tight. We see 20 to 40 applications for every apartment listing. — Nate Libby city of Lewiston 22 LOCATIONS ACROSS MAINE & NEW HAMPSHIRE 1 - 8 0 0 - H A M M O N D W W W . H A M M O N D L U M B E R . C O M R E A D Y T O P I V O T W H E N E V E R Y O U R J O B D O E S . AUBURN • BANGOR • BAR HARBOR • BELFAST • BELGRADE • BLUE HILL • BOOTHBAY HARBOR • BRUNSWICK • BUCKSPORT • CALAIS • CAMDEN • CHERRYFIELD DAMARISCOTTA • ELLSWORTH • FAIRFIELD • FARMINGTON • GREENVILLE • MACHIAS • PORTLAND • ROCHESTER (NH) • ROCKLAND • SKOWHEGAN ROCHESTER ROCHESTER 2021 2022 2023 2024 2 0 2 3 2 0 2 4

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