Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. I I I F E B R UA R Y 9 , 2 0 2 6 16 C O M M E R C I A L D E V E L O P M E N T F O C U S A s Maine seeks to address an 84,000-unit housing short- fall, numerous develop- ments are in the works. ey range from single-family to apartment complexes, from small island communities to bustling down- towns to repurposed mills, historic houses and hotels. A common theme is to fill the gap of affordable and "missing middle" housing, in turn helping employers find and retain workers while provid- ing a return for investors. Downtown living M&R Development, known for its 577-acre mixed-use Downs devel- opment in Scarborough, plans to build a 51-unit apartment building in Freeport. e town of Freeport approved the $15 million project, called the Dash, on the corner of Depot and Mill streets, one block from Main Street. e site is now a parking lot. e concept came about when M&R's team collaborated with Free- port's town leadership and Downtown Vision Committee to share research and ideas, says Dan Bacon, the firm's development director. "We know downtowns need people to remain vibrant, and we are excited to deliver that to historic Freeport," says Bacon. M&R is under contract to buy the lot from L.L.Bean. e Dash marks M&R Develop- ment's eighth housing development since 2015, with hundreds of units in Westbrook, South Portland, Scarbor- ough and now Freeport. Construction is set to start this spring and wrap in 2027. e three-story building, designed by Portland-based Woodhull, will offer market-rate studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, a gathering space and 51 parking spaces. e name pays homage to a historic privateering ship called Dash, built by the Porter brothers on Porter's Landing in Freeport in 1813. e schooner com- pleted 15 voyages until one day it sailed into a storm and was never seen again. e ship is part of Maine folklore. John Greenleaf Whittier's poem, "e We know downtowns need people to remain vibrant, and we are excited to deliver that to historic Freeport. — Dan Bacon M&R Development In Freeport, from left: Kyle Drexler, Freeport town planner; Dan Bacon, M&R Development's director of development; and Brett Richardson, Freeport development director, at the site of M&R's planned 51-unit apartment building on the corner of Depot and Mill streets. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY HOME MAKERS From island communities to bustling downtowns, housing projects include new builds and repurposed mills B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r

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