PORTLAND, Maine — More than 100 housing units could soon replace a vacant office building at 511 Congress St. in Portland. The project was approved by the city's planning board at a meeting this week.
According to Kevin Kraft, Portland's deputy director of planning and urban development, the developers would need to submit a building permit application, and then construction and remodeling can begin.
Kraft said 77 of the units would be one-bedroom, 30 would be studio apartments, and 27 of the units would be workforce housing.
According to the City of Portland's website:
"Affordable means that the percentage of income a household is charged in rent and other housing expenses, or must pay in monthly mortgage payments (including insurance, HOA fees, taxes, and utilities), does not exceed 30% of a household’s gross income."
Kraft said this is not the first project in the city where a vacant building was turned into housing units, and the future of similar projects is made possible by city ordinances that allow this redevelopment.
"It makes it a little easier for someone to come in and propose a conversation of our office space and I certainly think we’ll see more of that," Kraft added.
The property is located right in the heart of the city's downtown, and the building will be equipped with bike storage and will encourage residents to utilize public transportation.
The city's planning board also approved a master plan of a proposed development that would transform Portland's Bayside neighborhood. The multi-year plan would be developed in phases that would each need separate approval.
"[The approval of the master plan] establishes the general parameters that the future site plans would have to adhere to over the course of the development," Kraft said.
Both projects are being proposed by the same developer. If tenants get the green light to move into the building on Congress Street or at the locations in the Bayside neighborhood, the properties would be managed by Port Property.
The final development of the Bayside project would add 804 units of housing across multiple buildings, 201 of which would be considered affordable units.
"It’s a good project, it’s a needed project, and it’s a big project," Sarah Michniewicz, president of the Bayside Neighborhood Association, said Thursday.
Michniewicz has lived in the Bayside neighborhood for decades, and she and other residents have been following the proposed plan closely. She said the developers did make plan adjustments to her liking, like the addition of more greenspaces for dogs and kids.
Michniewicz and other neighbors also hope to be involved in the process moving forward so the end result can be "something we can all be proud of."
There is still a long way to go before any shovels break ground in the Bayside neighborhood. Kraft said each phase of the project would still need to go under a review process, take public comment, and receive final approval from the planning board.
"I think we are definitely expecting some more input [from the public] and look forward to that," Kraft added.
Michniewicz said she and other neighbors can "see" what developers or planners can and can't offer up ways to manage construction traffic and work zones.
She also wants to see continued investment in making the neighborhood walkable, vibrant, and welcoming. Currently, the developers are planning to place all of the affordable housing units in one of the buildings and not spread out throughout the neighborhood.
"The bottom line is we all just want it to be a cohesive vision and a respectful neighborhood, where everybody feels like they have a place, everybody is welcome, and all of the buildings reflect that, and it’s a little unclear thus far if that’s what will happen here," Michniewicz added.
As these projects begin their next steps, Maine needs all the housing it can get.
Scott Thistle, a spokesperson for MaineHousing, said the state is roughly 20,000 to 25,000 units behind market demand. The organization set a goal of building or financing 1,000 new units every year.
According to MaineHousing data, more than 920 units of housing have been completed or are expected to be finished by the end of this year.
Thistle added all parts of Maine need affordable housing, and it will take creative solutions and assistance from local and federal partners to combat this crisis.