York County commissioners are exploring the potential to redevelop the historic York County Court House, in the town of Alfred, into senior housing units.
The project would involve relocating the courthouse’s current operations, including the York County Probate Court and the Registry of Probate, to the former Springvale District Court building, owned by the Sanford Housing Authority.
The brick York County Court House was constructed in 1807 and rebuilt after a fire gutted the central portion in 1933.
Sanford Housing Authority acquired the Springvale District Court property in late 2024 through legislation, with a view to creating 18 apartments aimed at people 55 and older. But the authority has since estimated that the York County Court House could yield 34 units and an area for child care, according to a news release.
Redevelopment proposal
A redevelopment proposal for the courthouse recently won second place in an affordable housing development competition in Boston.
The proposal was to redevelop the building into 30 units of affordable senior housing. The project team included students from Clark University and Harvard University who collaborated with the Sanford Housing Authority.
The competition was sponsored by Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, the Boston Society for Architecture, CohnReznick, Kuehn Charitable Foundation, ICON Architecture Inc. and the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association.
“The housing competition is an opportunity for students to showcase their skills and creativity, gaining real-world experience by collaborating with professionals in housing development, finance and design,” said Kenneth Willis, senior vice president, director of housing and community investment at Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.
