SANDY RIVER, Maine — Maine towns large and small are dealing with housing shortages.
With Rangeley ready to welcome a new ski season, its resort now has a new place to house workers.
On Friday, Saddleback unveiled its brand new, $10 million employee housing project. The rooms vary in size, and there is a communal kitchen and dining area on the first of two floors.
Assistant facility and property manager Amber Grey said the entire building can house up to 80 people. They plan to fill it with resort employees first, then any open spots would be offered to other workers in the Rangeley area.
Resort management guaranteed rent would be capped at 30 percent of an employee’s salary, following federal affordable housing guidelines. They said more than 130 season pass holders checked a box to contribute to the project when they bought their passes for the year.
As an added perk, residents will be able ski or snowboard uninhibited from the summit to the back door of the building, with additional ski-out access to a nearby lift.
"I think it’s going to be great," Grey smiled while giving NEWS CENTER Maine a tour. "You’re coming in after skiing all day. You get to hang out, you get to cook together, you get to go to your common area room where we’ll have TVs, you can watch big games. We’re going to have games in there, air hockey, a few other things for them to do. And I’m hoping it’s just a great environment for them to grow with."
The day before, Saddleback activated its new 7-megawatt solar farm, with management claiming it provided more than enough power for the entire resort, including the new employee housing.