“The idea is a smaller home but nicer — granite countertops, tiled showers, upgraded kitchens. We’re not going cheap,” said the local developer.
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A development of 68 single-family homes is expected to break ground by Aug. 1 on Danville Corner Road in Auburn.
The homes will be 850 square feet, and the site plan will be laid out as a neighborhood, said Timothy Millett, the developer and general contractor.
SouthGrove Residences, on 15 acres, was approved by the planning board in April. The project team includes Travis Nadeau with Platz Associates in Auburn and Craig Sweet with Terradyn Consultants in New Gloucester, who provided engineering, owner’s representation and road design.
Millett, a local developer and contractor, bought the vacant land, which currently has an address of 0 Danville Corner Road, nearly two years ago from Spurwink Services Inc.
“I live close by and go by there all the time,” he said. “It’s got all the utilities. I called my son, who’s a commercial broker, and put it under contract.”
Panelization
Millett’s developments are focused primarily on apartment buildings in the Lewiston-Auburn region. SouthGrove is his first single-family-home project.
Based on experience from completed projects, buyers could be rising professionals in their 20s or 30s, people in their 50s who are downsizing and snowbirds, he said.
About half the houses will have a one-car garage. Those without a garage will likely be priced in the high $200,000s, while those with a garage will likely be priced in the low $300,000s.
“The idea is a smaller home but nicer — granite countertops, tiled showers, upgraded kitchens,” he said. “We’re not going cheap.”
Panelization for the buildings will be done on-site. Millett said he has two designs ready to go and is working on two more. Lumber to make the panels will be sourced from Hancock Lumber and Millett will build the panels on-site. Serving as the project’s general contractor, Millett will hire subcontractors to carry out construction.
The first couple of houses are expected to be available by late this year.
Spec builds
The cost for infrastructure and roads is expected to be approximately $3 million, financed through private investment. The overall cost is estimated to be $18.6 million, financed by Maine Community Bank and facilitated by Todd Savage.
The first three or four homes will be built on spec and marketed through Millett’s sister, Trisha Millett Lycette, a broker at the Masiello Group.
The sale of the first condos could help attract further interest, said Millett.
“There seems to be a need,” he said. “I’ve never had so much interest in a project. I’ve had a dozen people call me in the last six to eight months.”
Millett recently wrapped up a project at 180 Danville Corner Road in Auburn that converted a former group home living facility into four rental units.
