A rendering of the houses planned for the Wilbur’s Woods development in Brunswick Courtesy of GreenMars
A new affordable housing development is in the works near downtown Brunswick.
The Portland-based developer GreenMars last week won approval from the Planning Board to build 21 houses and an 18-unit apartment building on a 5-acre wooded parcel on McKeen Street between St. Charles Borromeo Church and the Church of the Nazarene. The development, called Wilbur’s Woods, will be priced according to average income levels in the region, according to GreenMars founders Nate Green and Chris Marshall.
“We’re committed to addressing the affordable housing crisis,” said Green, whose family has lived in Brunswick for four generations. “We want the next generation of people to be able to actually live in town.”
Plans call for 20 of the houses to be sold for $325,000 and one sold at a market rate, and the 18 apartment units offered for rent. The three-story apartment building will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units. Based on 2023 income levels in the region, a one-bedroom would be priced at about $1,400 a month and a two-bedroom at about $1,675. The houses will be limited to those making up to 120% of the area’s median income, while the apartments will be limited to those making up to 80% of the median income.
Green and Marshall could not provide a total cost for the project but said they plan to take advantage of MaineHousing’s Affordable Home Ownership Program, which offers a maximum forgivable loan of $1.4 million per new housing development, and the Rural Affordable Rental Housing Program, which offer a maximum forgivable loan of $3.3 million per new rental development.
A rendering of the 18-unit apartment building planned for Wilbur’s Woods. Courtesy of GreenMars
“The creativity of MaineHousing allows developers like us to build affordable housing in the area,” Marshall said.
The two-story homes will be small, about 900 square feet, and built close together in a pocket neighborhood. They will have three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, cathedral ceilings, and basements. Parking will be in a shared lot to the side and the property will have three common areas with gazebos. An existing walking trail through the property and open to the public will be preserved. Pets will be allowed in all of the units.
“It’s like a mini cul-de-sac without the cars,” Green said. “It enhances the community feel of the neighborhood.”
The Planning Board approved the project in a 4-0 vote. Member Art Boulay emphasized the affordability of the units as the median sale price of a home in town has exceeded $600,000.
“These are desperately needed houses,” Boulay said. “Ain’t no other houses in Brunswick going for anywhere near ($325,000).”
Green said construction is expected to start in late spring or early summer. The first phase will be the construction of 11 houses and the second phase will be the construction of the remaining 10 houses. Construction on the apartment building is planned for 2025, though Green said the timeline could change.
GreenMars has built developments in Yarmouth and Sanford and last year purchased Portland’s historic Time and Temperature Building for redevelopment.
A rendering of the 21 houses planned for Wilbur’s Woods near downtown Brunswick. Courtesy of GreenMars
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