Construction on a senior housing project at the former Martel School site in Lewiston is slated to begin this winter, with a groundbreaking on the first 44 units expected in February or March, officials said this week.

The project by Lewiston Housing has faced several hurdles and delays over the years, but Chris Kilmurry, executive director of Lewiston Housing, said the organization is planning three phases on the property at 860 Lisbon St., for a total of 132 units.

During a discussion with the City Council this week, Kilmurry said financing on the project is expected to close within the next two months, after which the 12-month construction will begin. He said work on the second 44 units would begin immediately following completion of phase one.

Councilors said they’re excited for work to begin, especially given the amount of public attention the project has received.

A string of delays stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic have led to continued pressure and questions from residents, who have for years emphasized the need for more senior housing in Lewiston. Plans to use the site for senior housing have been in the works since 2019. The project was initially slated to break ground in 2024, and then again in 2025.

“Once a shovel is in the ground, it will be very exciting for many people who have been waiting for that project,” Councilor Josh Nagine said.

Kilmurry said he could list five to 10 seniors who he gets regular calls from “who will be my first invitees to that groundbreaking.”

One of those seniors, Louise Samson, said she’d be “holding (Lewiston Housing) to this promise, because there’s been a lot of promises made before.”

Mayor Carl Sheline said Thursday that he’s “supported senior housing at that site since the beginning and I am glad that it’s just around the bend.”

“I appreciate the perseverance of Lewiston Housing, who could have thrown in the towel on this project multiple times, but instead kept moving forward for the sake of our city and our seniors,” he said.

In response to questions about a waiting list for units, Kilmurry said Lewiston Housing has an “interest list” that seniors can sign up for on the website or via phone.

MORE HOUSING NEWS

Kilmurry also updated the council on several other Lewiston Housing projects this week, including the now-completed first phase of Choice Neighborhoods, the DeWitt project across from Kennedy Park, and the Soleil development on Ash Street.

Kilmurry said the 82-unit first phase of Choice Neighborhoods — which redeveloped an entire block between Walnut and Pine streets — is complete, with all but six units occupied.

The 104-unit DeWitt project, under construction along Pine Street, is on track to be completed by the end of 2026, Kilmurry said. Earlier this year, crews razed two buildings along Pine Street between Park and Bates streets to make way for the development, including a former Sun Journal building at 40 Pine St. that was once the site of the DeWitt hotel.

The project will include 15,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. Lewiston Housing is in talks with Webb’s Market, owned by Councilor Susan Longchamps, to use two-thirds of the space, Kilmurry said.

He said around the corner, the previously announced Soleil project at Ash and Bates streets has received funding and is on track for a groundbreaking in the third quarter of 2026. Soleil will feature 72 units in two phases, with 8,000 square feet of commercial space.