Approved! Augusta Will Soon See Over 400 New Apartments

Over the last few years, we have talked a lot about the housing crisis that much of the country, including Maine, is facing.

Well, it looks like there will be at least a little relief for those hoping to find a place to live in Central Maine.

According to the KJ, the Augusta Planning Board recently approved plans for two new apartment projects.  If all goes as planned, we will see the construction of hundreds of new apartments in the next few years.

For the last few months, we had been hearing that an organization hoped to construct about 400 apartments in a lot off Civic Center Drive.  The project was proposed by local real estate agent and longtime area apartment building owner Jim Pepin.  The plan is for the construction of eight buildings on the land.  Some of these would contain condos, the rest would be standard one, two, or three bedroom apartments.

These apartments would be built between 435 Civic Center Drive and 443 Civic Center Drive.  The entrance would be across from the Skowhegan Savings Bank branch. The property consists mostly of fields and woods, with one abandoned home that would be demolished as part of the project.

Pepin said that, ideally, he'd love to sell all of the units as condos, but would rent the unsold units as apartments.  He said the price range for the condos would be between $375,000 and $395,000.

There is no specific timeframe on when the first units would be habitable.

It is does not appear that this development has anything to do with the plan to build an apartment complex nearby on Eight Rod Road.

On Tuesday, the planning board voted 5 to 1 to allow for the construction of the units.

Additionally, there is an update on one of the most exciting projects to come to Augusta in a long time.

In November, we heard that a company from Boston was trying to purchase the Olde Federal Building and had plans to renovate it into luxury apartments, a rooftop bar, and retails spaces.

When the project was first brought to the planning board, they asked for additional details about the plan.

The developers revised their plan (eliminating several apartments that were determined to be below the flood plain) and added more details before presenting them again.

This time, the planning board approved the concept, 5 to 0.

Construction on the luxury apartments is planned to start in late 2023 and the hope is that the renovations will be completed by late 2024.