Tina Fischer
Nathan Szanton, the developer of 45 Dougherty, which will add 63 apartment units in the Libbytown neighborhood of Portland.
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A park-side affordable housing development in the works in Portland
Tina Fischer
A Szanton Cos. development, 45 Dougherty, is under construction in Portland's Libbytown neighborhood. It is adjacent to Dougherty Field.
By Tina Fischer
If “location, location, location” is indeed the standard for desirable housing, 45 Dougherty Court in Portland’s Libbytown, promises to knock that maxim out of the park for young families.
Or in this case, maybe into the park, because the abundantly endowed Dougherty Field complex is right on the doorstep of this new 63-unit affordable apartment building, and it’s a recreational gold mine. The park covers 13.7 acres between Douglas and St. James streets, and sports ball fields, a skate park, basketball courts, the Kiwanis pool, two playgrounds, and a community garden.
“What kid wouldn’t want to live here?” asked developer Nathan Szanton last week as he surveyed the panoramic view of the park from one of the building’s 5th floor apartments. “A parent can comfortably say, ‘Go outside and play.' The child never even has to cross a single street.”
The building is still under construction, but will offer amenities inside too: a fitness center, community room with kitchen facilities, secure bike storage and a coin-operated laundry. The parking lot will include 18 Level-2 electric vehicle chargers. The building is being built to LEED Silver standards to be highly energy-efficient. Each unit will be heated and cooled by mini-split, air-source heat pumps, and Szanton expects the planned roof-top solar array will provide enough electricity for the entire building. Tenants will need to pay only for hot water and lights.
“We decided to make this building all electric,” Szanton said. “No fossil fuels will be used at all, so no carbon footprint. We’re very proud of that.”
Amid the recent cold weather, the 68,000-square-foot building has done a good job of holding heat, according to Szanton’s Kristin Martin. “Right now we’re heating it only at night with portable propane units and temporary duct work, and even though we turn the heat off during the day, the construction crews have been saying it’s too hot. So the insulation and windows are very energy-efficient.”
Apartments will be available to households earning 60% or less of area median income (AMI), which in the Portland area currently comes to $51,300 for a single person, and $72,360 for a family of four. Rental rates will range from $1,250 a month for the 35 one-bedroom units to $1,750 for 10 three-bedroom residences. Eighteen units will offer two bedrooms. Pre-leasing will begin in May for occupancy in August.
“This is our first 100% affordable property,” Szanton noted. “We’ve always done buildings which included some affordable units. We expect to have no problem leasing the entire building; there is such a need for affordable housing, and for Portland these prices are unbeatable.”
The project is being built by Penobscot General Contractors, and financed through MaineHousing, using 4% low-income housing tax credits. It was also awarded American Rescue Plan Act money through the city’s housing trust fund as well as affordable housing tax increment financing from the city. Szanton joined with Maine Cooperative Development Partners to purchase the 3.5-acre site from the city for $475,000 in 2020 through a competitive request-for-proposals process.
MCDP has approvals to build 20 income-restricted condominiums (households can earn up to 100% of the AMI), and 42 apartments, adjacent to Szanton’s building. Construction on the condos is expected to start later this winter, with completion in the fall. The next phase will be the apartments, or potentially condos instead according to MCDP, affordable to households earning 60% to 100% of AMI, and are targeted for completion in 2026.
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