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Two housing projects in Ellsworth appeal to different demands for affordable housing

A new 150-unit project geared towards long-term residents was recently approved and another 72-unit property caters to short-term tenants.

ELLSWORTH, Maine — The developers of two housing projects in Ellsworth are taking opposite approaches while trying to fill the market's demand for housing.

Across the state, estimates say the supply of housing is 80,000 homes short to meet the demand of residents.

The challenge of housing persists in the city of Ellsworth, where Robert Grant, the municipality's code enforcement officer, says every little bit helps.

"Ellsworth has a huge problem with housing. It's pretty clear to anybody that lives here or in the area," Grant said. "Any housing projects that are bring more housing to Ellsworth is a huge help."

At one end of the spectrum are those looking for traditional long-term leases. Ellsworth's planning board recently approved plans to build a new 150-unit housing complex off Route 1.

The development would be made up of multi-family housing and be built in multiple phases.

Ahead of its approval, while the school board had questions about school bus accessibility, those have been answered according to the lead engineer on the project, Rayshelly Lizotte, co-owner of Artifex.

"The school department has understood our plan and seems to be good with it," she said.

On the other end are people looking for short-term accommodation. Stone Park on High Street was designed and built for that clientele, building developer Jon Bates said.

"You can sign up for a night. You can sign up for three months. You can sign up for six months. You can sign up for a year," Bates said.

Each of the 72 suites in the building has a full kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, and comes fully furnished. Bates says that the concept provides flexibility for clients of all kinds.

"Traveling professionals, locals," Bates said. "We have people that are in for nightly stays, traveling here for Acadia National Park. We have people all across the board."

Construction for the new housing project is anticipated to begin within a year's time and be complete in 3-5 years.

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